UK girl's name
Marcela
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "young warrior" or "little warrior".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Marcela is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Marcela popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 13 births.
This profile covers 95 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 2005 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 31% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 98 living people in the UK are called Marcela. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Marcela ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 13 girls were registered as Marcela.
- • Marcela ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
- • About 98 living people in the UK are estimated to have Marcela as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4843
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2019
13 births
Estimated living
98
2026
Meaning
What does Marcela mean?
Marcela is a feminine given name with roots in the ancient Roman culture. It is derived from the Latin name Marcus, which is believed to have originated from the Roman god of war, Mars. The name Marcus was a common prenomen (personal name) among Roman men during the Roman Republic and Empire periods.
In ancient times, Marcela was likely a feminine form of Marcus used as a personal name for Roman women. The earliest recorded use of the name Marcela dates back to the 1st century AD, when it appeared in various Roman texts and inscriptions.
One of the earliest historical references to the name Marcela can be found in the works of the Roman historian Suetonius, who mentioned a woman named Marcela in his work "The Twelve Caesars." However, details about this individual are scarce.
During the Middle Ages, the name Marcela gained popularity among various European cultures, particularly in Spain, Italy, and Portugal. It was often associated with the Latin word "marcellus," meaning "little warrior" or "young warrior."
Among the notable historical figures who bore the name Marcela was Marcela de Jesús (1618-1683), a Spanish mystic and writer from Granada, Spain. She is known for her works on spiritual life and mysticism.
In the 17th century, Marcela Zambraño (1628-1691) was a Mexican writer and poet who is considered one of the earliest known female writers from New Spain (colonial Mexico).
Marcela Paz (1902-1985) was a Chilean poet and educator who played a significant role in promoting women's rights and education in her country. Her poetry often reflected on themes of love, nature, and social justice.
Marcela Tízoc (1899-1986) was a prominent Mexican activist and feminist who fought for women's rights and indigenous rights. She co-founded the Frente Único Pro Derechos de la Mujer (United Front for Women's Rights) in 1935.
Marcela Agoncillo (1860-1954) was a Filipino revolutionary and seamstress who is credited with sewing the first official Filipino flag during the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule in 1898.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Marcela over time
The chart below shows babies named Marcela registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Marcela, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 13 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Marcela by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Marcela was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3982 | 27 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3387 | 53 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3683 | 15 | 3 |
Geography
Where Marcela is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Marcela. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Marcela ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
Across the UK
Marcela in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#790 in 2024
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Marcela
-
Marcela Contreras
surgeon; writer; physician; hematologist; immunologist
Chilean-British immunologist, science writer, and educator
1942-
-
Marcela Votruba
university teacher; ophthalmologist
British ophthalmologist
Related
Names similar to Marcela
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Marcela: questions and answers
How popular is the name Marcela in the UK right now?
In 2024, Marcela was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Marcela most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 13 babies registered as Marcela in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Marcela?
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "young warrior" or "little warrior".
How many people are called Marcela in the UK?
A total of 95 babies have been registered as Marcela across the 15 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Marcela most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Marcela ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #790 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.