Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Marcelo

Marcelo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Marcellus which is an ancient Roman diminutive of Marcus. Marcus comes from the Latin and is one of the oldest Roman forenames in existence. In fact, back during antiquity and the classical era, Marcus was one of only a dozen or so given names used for boys. For instance, Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) who lived in the first century B.C. was a notable name bearer. After Julius Caesar’s assassination in 44 B.C., Antony joined together with Octavian and Lepidus to form the Second Triumvirate. This political alliance would later collapse when Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium (31 B.C.). Shortly thereafter Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra committed suicide. In the 2nd century Roman Empire, Marcus Aurelius, considered a philosopher-king and symbolizing much of what was good about Roman civilization, was the last of the “Five Good Emperors”. The etymological origin of the name is not certain. It likely comes from one of two places. The first is Mars, the Roman god of war. The second is from the Latin adjective “mas” meaning “male, virile” which essentially means the same thing. The main source of Marcos’ or Marcelo’s popularity is owed to the biblical Evangelist and author of the second gospel of the New Testament (as in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Marcos would be considered the more formal form of Mark while Marcelo originated as a pet form. Marcelo is currently most popular in South America, particularly in Chile and Brazil.

All About the Baby Name – Marcelo

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME MARCELO

The number Four personality is marked by stability and discipline. This is the personality that follows the rules and is conservative by nature.  They have an earth-bound energy that prefers to build things methodically on top of firm foundations; they don't cut corners. Fours take their time and don't like to be hurried. But the outcome of their endeavors is likely to result in some strong and useful structure, which makes them great engineers and inventors. Fours are anything but frivolous or controversial. This is a trustworthy, straight-forward personality that embodies dedication and organization. They are the backbone and anchor in their relationships, careers and communities. They are tidy, punctual, and full of integrity. Hard-work comes naturally to a Four and they are immensely reliable. This is the personality you can always count on.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME MARCELO

Marcelo made his debut on the American male naming charts in 1971 but would fall into and out of circulation for the first 15 years. It really wasn’t until 1995 that the name Marcelo finally stuck to the charts; albeit at low levels of success. The name’s usage is primarily driven by immigrants from South America to the United States (rather than those coming from Mexico). Many people consider Marcelo an Italian sounding name, but the Italians would typically spell it with two “L”s (Marcello) and pronounce it like “mahr-CHEL-lo”. It’s hard not to like the name Marcelo. Since it originated as a diminutive of Marcus (god of war), we think of Marcelo as a “little warrior”.

Quick Facts

ON MARCELO

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Latin

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

808

PRONUNCIATION:

mahr-THE-lo; mahr-SE-lo

SIMPLE MEANING:

God of war; manly, virile

Characteristics

OF MARCELO

Dependable

Solid

Practical

Hard-working

Industrious

Studious

Conservative

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Marcelo

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME MARCELO

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Marcelo

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME MARCELO

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Marcelo


Popular Songs

ON MARCELO

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Marcelo


Famous People

NAMED MARCELO

Marcelo Ríos (Chilean tennis player)
Marcelo Melo (Brazilian tennis player)
Marcelo Filippini (Uruguay tennis player)
Marcelo Salas (Chilean footballer)
Marcelo Caetano (Portuguese politician)
Marcelo Bielsa (Argentinean football coach)
Marcelo Vieira (Brazilian footballer)
Marcelo Balboa (American soccer player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED MARCELO

Ali Landry;

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME MARCELO

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Marcelo