NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Marshall

A masculine given name derived from an Old French surname, meaning "servant in charge of horses.".

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.

Marshall is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Marshall popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #613, with 62 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 242 births.

This profile covers 3,333 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 26% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 3,530 living people in the UK are called Marshall. 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

  • Marshall ranked #613 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 62 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2003, when 242 boys were registered as Marshall.
  • Marshall ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #414 in 2022.
  • About 3,530 living people in the UK are estimated to have Marshall as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#613

2024

Births in 2024

62

Latest year

Peak year

2003

242 births

Estimated living

3,530

2026

Meaning

What does Marshall mean?

The name Marshall has its origins in the Old French word "mareschal", which in turn derives from the Germanic words "mar" meaning horse and "scalc" meaning servant. The name originally referred to someone who was responsible for taking care of horses, such as a groom or stable master.

During the Middle Ages, the role of the marshal evolved into a high-ranking military position. Marshals were responsible for commanding armies and overseeing military campaigns. As a result, the name Marshall became associated with leadership and authority.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marshall dates back to the 12th century. In 1189, William Marshal was appointed as the Earl of Pembroke and served as a regent for the young King Henry III of England. He is considered one of the greatest knights and military leaders of the Middle Ages.

The name Marshall has also been prominent in religious contexts. John Marshall (1633-1681) was an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several influential works on theology and religious subjects.

In the realm of American history, John Marshall (1755-1835) was the fourth Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court and is widely regarded as one of the most influential jurists in American history. His decisions helped shape the role of the federal judiciary and establish the principle of judicial review.

Another notable figure was George C. Marshall (1880-1959), an American military leader who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army during World War II. He later served as the Secretary of State and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for his efforts in implementing the Marshall Plan, which helped rebuild Western Europe after the war.

Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) was an American lawyer and civil rights activist who became the first African American to serve on the United States Supreme Court. He played a pivotal role in the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed racial segregation in public schools.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Marshall, reflecting its long-standing association with leadership, authority, and significant contributions to various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Marshall over time

The chart below shows babies named Marshall registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Marshall, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 62 births in 2024, compared with 242 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Marshall
061121182242199620102024

Decades

Marshall by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Marshall 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 #539 366 5
2010s #330 1,385 10
2000s #266 1,466 10
1990s #617 116 4

Geography

Where Marshall is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Marshall. 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.

Marshall ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #414 in 2022.

Scotland
4
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Marshall in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#619 in 2024

33 years of NRS records, 187 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#414 in 2022

10 years of NISRA records, 37 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Marshall

  • Marshall Sykes

    rugby union player

    Scottish rugby union player

    1999-

  • Marshall Forbes

    association football player

    Footballer (born 1980)

    1980-

  • Marshall Lancaster

    actor; television actor

    British actor

    1974-

  • Marshall James

    darts player

    Welsh darts player

    1970-

  • Marshall Burke

    association football player

    Scottish footballer (born 1959)

    1959-

  • Marshall Chess

    composer; record producer; music publisher

    American record producer

    1942-

  • Marshall Stoneham

    physicist; university teacher; musicologist; wind instrument player

    British physicist (1940–2011)

    1940-2011

  • Marshall Pugh

    writer

    British writer

    1925-1976

Related

Names similar to Marshall

FAQ

Marshall: questions and answers

How popular is the name Marshall in the UK right now?

In 2024, Marshall was ranked #613 for boys in England and Wales, with 62 births registered.

When was Marshall most popular?

The peak year on record was 2003, with 242 babies registered as Marshall in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Marshall?

A masculine given name derived from an Old French surname, meaning "servant in charge of horses.".

How many people are called Marshall in the UK?

A total of 3,333 babies have been registered as Marshall across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 187 more in Scotland and 37 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Marshall most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Marshall ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #414 in 2022. 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.