Ixcel
The name of ancient Mayan roots meaning "spirit of light and fertility".
Name Census estimates that about 19 living Americans carry the first name Ixcel. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ixcel today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ixcel births was 1994 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ixcel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ixcel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
19
~ 1 in 18,039,702 Americans
Peak year
1994
9 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2006 SSA rank
#15,876
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Ixcel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ixcel from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 14 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Ixcel remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ixcel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ixcel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ixcel
The given name Ixcel has its origins in the ancient Mayan civilization of Mesoamerica, which flourished between the 3rd and 9th centuries CE. The name is derived from the Mayan word "ix," meaning "woman" or "female," and "cel," meaning "celestial" or "heavenly." As such, the name Ixcel can be interpreted as "heavenly woman" or "celestial female."
This name was particularly popular among the Maya people, who were renowned for their advanced understanding of astronomy and their reverence for celestial bodies. The Maya believed that the movements of the stars and planets held significant spiritual and cultural significance, and names like Ixcel reflected this deep connection to the heavens.
While there are no definitive historical records of specific individuals named Ixcel from ancient Mayan times, the name's meaning and cultural significance suggest that it was likely bestowed upon women of importance or those with a special connection to the celestial realm.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Ixcel can be found in colonial-era documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, during the time of Spanish rule over the Maya regions of Central America. One notable figure named Ixcel was Ixcel Cab, a Maya noblewoman from the Yucatán region who was recorded as a leader and advocate for her people during the mid-16th century.
In more recent history, several notable women have borne the name Ixcel. One such individual was Ixcel Haydock (1891-1967), a Mexican artist and sculptor known for her work in depicting indigenous themes and subjects. Another was Ixcel Cienfuegos (1915-1994), a Mexican author and poet who wrote extensively about the experiences of women and the indigenous people of Mexico.
Other notable individuals named Ixcel include Ixcel Cabrera (born 1958), a Mexican writer and journalist who has been recognized for her work in promoting human rights and social justice. Ixcel Ovando (born 1977) is a Mexican-American artist and activist whose work explores themes of identity, culture, and environmentalism.
While the name Ixcel may not be as commonly used today as it was in ancient times, it remains a powerful reminder of the rich cultural heritage and celestial reverence of the Maya people, and serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of their civilization.
People
Ixcel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ixcel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ixcel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ixcel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 19 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ixcel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 18,039,702 US residents.
Is Ixcel a common name?
We classify Ixcel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ixcel most popular?
The single biggest year for Ixcel was 1994, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ixcel is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ixcel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ixcel a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ixcel in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ixcel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ixcel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ixcel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Ixcel?
Find out how many people have the name Ixcel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.