Marcellus as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Marcellus

What is the meaning of the name Marcellus ?

The baby name Marcellus is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /mɑrˈsɛləs/ (mar-SELL-us).

Marcellus is Latin in Origin.

Marcellus is a Latin cognomen formed with the diminutive suffix -ellus from Marcus, the Roman name derived from Mars, the god of war. It thus means “little Marcus,” often interpreted as “young warrior” or “warlike.” Prominent in the Roman Republic and Empire, the name was borne by the celebrated general Marcus Claudius Marcellus, nicknamed the “Sword of Rome,” and by Augustus’s promising nephew Marcellus, familiar from Virgil’s Aeneid.

Adopted by early Christians, it appears in the martyrologies and on the papal roll (Pope Marcellus I and Marcellus II). The name persisted in medieval Latin records, enjoyed humanist favor in the Renaissance, and was later revived in English-speaking countries. International variants include Marcel (French, German, English), Marcello (Italian), Marcelo (Spanish, Portuguese), Marcell (Hungarian, German), Marceau (French), and diminutive forms like Marcellino/Marcelino. Feminine counterparts are Marcella and Marcelle.