Martel
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- mar-TEL
- Origin
- French
- US rank, 2025
- #9,710 for boys
Martel is a boys' name of French origin, meaning “hammer”. In 2025 it ranked 9,710th for boys in the US (7 babies).
What does Martel mean?
French: spelling of Martell; French surname, from Old French martel
“hammer”
From a French surname meaning hammer, as in Charles Martel, the Frankish leader who won the Battle of Tours in 732.
Meaning borrowed from Martell.
Is Martel a girl's or a boy's name?
Martel is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 7 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Martel in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 9,710th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 7 about 1 in 240,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 43% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 7 boys in the US were named Martel, making it the 9,710th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,292nd. Its busiest year was 1991, with 72 boys. It first appears in the records in 1920.
2025 had fewer boys named Martel than any year since 1967.
Half of all the boys named Martel in the US since 1880 were born between 1985 and 2002, the years shaded on the chart below.
Martel in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | #9,710 |
| 2024 | 10 | #7,760 |
| 2023 | 9 | #8,250 |
| 2022 | 10 | #7,762 |
| 2021 | 13 | #6,330 |
| 2020 | 13 | #6,292 |
| 2019 | 9 | #8,209 |
| 2018 | 24 | #4,222 |
| 2017 | 23 | #4,327 |
| 2016 | 16 | #5,551 |
| 2015 | 18 | #5,056 |
| 2014 | 18 | #5,062 |
| 2013 | 11 | #7,021 |
| 2012 | 16 | #5,476 |
| 2011 | 16 | #5,429 |
| 2010 | 25 | #3,993 |
| 2009 | 23 | #4,276 |
| 2008 | 24 | #4,142 |
| 2007 | 21 | #4,491 |
| 2006 | 26 | #3,780 |
| 2005 | 23 | #3,937 |
| 2004 | 26 | #3,530 |
| 2003 | 19 | #4,271 |
| 2002 | 29 | #3,091 |
| 2001 | 27 | #3,223 |
| 2000 | 28 | #3,069 |
| 1999 | 33 | #2,604 |
| 1998 | 28 | #2,848 |
| 1997 | 36 | #2,308 |
| 1996 | 37 | #2,213 |
| 1995 | 54 | #1,661 |
| 1994 | 45 | #1,863 |
| 1993 | 63 | #1,467 |
| 1992 | 62 | #1,467 |
| 1991 | 72 | #1,319 |
| 1990 | 66 | #1,365 |
| 1989 | 71 | #1,289 |
| 1988 | 59 | #1,337 |
| 1987 | 56 | #1,314 |
| 1986 | 52 | #1,362 |
| 1985 | 65 | #1,157 |
| 1984 | 44 | #1,443 |
| 1983 | 62 | #1,144 |
| 1982 | 39 | #1,562 |
| 1981 | 26 | #2,037 |
| 1980 | 22 | #2,284 |
| 1979 | 17 | #2,668 |
| 1978 | 15 | #2,798 |
| 1977 | 11 | #3,384 |
| 1976 | 12 | #3,093 |
| 1975 | 9 | #3,657 |
| 1974 | 8 | #3,835 |
| 1973 | 8 | #3,692 |
| 1972 | 15 | #2,418 |
| 1971 | 12 | #2,811 |
| 1970 | 12 | #2,738 |
| 1969 | 10 | #2,860 |
| 1968 | 9 | #2,906 |
| 1967 | 7 | #3,229 |
| 1966 | 6 | #3,535 |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 5 | #4,038 |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 8 | #3,039 |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 5 | #4,036 |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 7 | #3,273 |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 5 | #3,940 |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 10 | #2,442 |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 6 | #3,108 |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 6 | #3,695 |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 6 | #3,706 |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 6 | #3,870 |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 5 | #4,284 |
Names like Martel
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Miguel, Angel, Marco, Marcus, Josue, Marcel, Maxwell, Luis, Pablo, Omar, Lucas, Micah
Names related to Martel
More French names
Eleanor, Beau, Esme, Darcie, Darcy, Genevieve, Amy, Esmae, Arleth, Elle, Russell, Monty, Mallory, Percy, Lacey, Belle
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Martel: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/martel, updated 20 October 2026.