Boy’s name · Germanic, English

Ancel

How to say it: AN-sul · /ˈænsəl/

Germanic 'god-helmet' via Old French - medieval form of Ansel, rare today.

Ancel was the 1,012th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 0 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1910s, its births are up about 17% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #998 by 2030.

Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures

#1,012for boys in 2025
1 in 17,824US babies
0born in 2025
#998projected for 2030
1910sits peak decade
under 1 in 200chance a classmate shares it

Key facts

Key facts about Ancel
Rank among boys’ names, 2025#1,012
Babies born in 20250
Share of births1 in 17,824
Peak decade1910s
Change over 10 years+17%
Projected rank for 2030 (estimate)#998
In France, 2025#2,436 among boys’ names, 0 births

Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.

Its life, decade by decade

Ancel peaked in the 1910s and is less common today.

1900195020002020–25
Peak: 18 per million births, 1910s.

What goes with it

Nicknames

  • Ance

Honouring a Ancel in the family

In the classroom

In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Ancel is about under 1 in 200.

Around the world

This spelling is used in English, French, German.

In France: #2,436 for boys in 2025.

Famous people named Ancel

From Wikidata and Wikipedia

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