Marvel is a unique and distinctive given name of English origin. It is derived from the Old English word "merer," which means "famous." The name Marvel has been popular throughout history, with notable figures such as Marvel comic book creator Stan Lee and Marvel Entertainment co-founder Martin Goodman carrying the name.
The name Marvel has several possible meanings and interpretations:
1. Famous: As mentioned earlier, the Old English root of the name means "famous," implying that a person named Marvel is destined for greatness or recognition.
2. Wondrous: Another interpretation of the name Marvel is that it signifies something remarkable or extraordinary, suggesting that the bearer of this name will have a life full of amazing experiences and achievements.
3. Miracle: In some cases, Marvel is associated with the word "miracle," indicating that the person named Marvel may be considered blessed or fortunate beyond ordinary means.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Marvel:
1. Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber), the renowned comic book writer and editor who co-created many iconic Marvel characters such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, and X-Men.
2. Martin Goodman, an American publisher and businessman who co-founded Marvel Comics with his wife, Adele Stern Friedman.
3. Marvel Girls, a term used to refer to the female companions of the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Universe.
The name Marvel has also been popularized by various works of fiction, including:
1. The Marvel Universe, a shared universe comprising fictional superheroes and other characters featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics.
2. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a series of American superhero films produced by Marvel Studios based on the Marvel Comics characters.
In summary, Marvel is an English given name with an Old English root meaning "famous." It carries several possible interpretations, such as wondrous or miracle, and has been popularized by notable figures in history and fictional works. Despite its uniqueness, Marvel does not appear to have any specific associations with particular celebrations or character traits.
Based on the provided statistics, we can observe several trends and patterns regarding the name Marvel over time in the United States.
From 1889 to 1929, there was a significant increase in the number of babies named Marvel. The first decade (1889-1899) saw an average of approximately 30 births per year, with a steady rise from 9 births in 1889 to a peak of 64 births in 1913.
The period between 1920 and 1930 marked the highest popularity of the name Marvel. In this decade alone, there were over 1,000 births with the name Marvel, with peaks reaching 171 births in 1929. This era could be considered the "golden age" for the name Marvel.
However, starting from the early 1930s, we observe a gradual decline in the popularity of the name Marvel. From 1931 to 1945, the number of births with the name Marvel decreased significantly, with averages dropping below 60 births per year and hitting an all-time low of 22 births in 1954.
The period from the late 1950s to the mid-1970s saw a further decrease in popularity, with less than 15 births per year on average. During this time, the name Marvel was given to between 5 and 20 babies annually.
From the late 1970s onwards, there has been an intermittent resurgence in the use of the name Marvel. Although it never reached the heights of popularity seen earlier in the century, there have been several peaks in recent years:
* In 2014, there were 29 births with the name Marvel.
* From 2016 to 2023, the number of births has ranged between 27 and 40 per year.
In total, since 1889 until 2023, there have been approximately 5,166 babies named Marvel in the United States. This data set provides an interesting overview of how the popularity of a name can fluctuate over time, with periods of high and low usage.