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Excell

♂ Boy

Pronounced ek-SEL /ɛkˈsɛl/Medium

Meaning: Excell is an English surname pressed into service as a given name; to American ears it also echoes the verb 'excel,' from Latin 'excellere' (to rise above, surpass), which lent it an aspirational ring.Low

In 30 seconds: Excell is an English surname used as a boy's name, echoing the word 'excel,' to surpass. It saw early-century US use (said ek-SEL).

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningExcell is an English surname pressed into service as a given name; to American ears it also echoes the verb 'excel,' from Latin 'excellere' (to rise above, surpass), which lent it an aspirational ring.

U.S. rank (1999)#9065 ↘ Falling

1999 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1944

Total births (all-time)≈ 412

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Excell comes from an English surname and doubled as an aspirational given name, its sound matching the verb 'excel,' from Latin 'excellere,' to surpass. Given to boys in the early twentieth century, it reflected a fashion for names promising achievement.

Excell was only about fifteen a year even at its peak, surfacing in the nineteen-tens and forties and never gaining ground. It is an unusual surname-name today, more likely to be met as a family name than as a first name.

Did you know? The gospel-music publisher Edwin Othello Excell carried the surname to fame in early-1900s hymnbooks, a period when the name also appeared on birth records.

Overall data confidence 30%

References - Excell — English surname as given name; echo of 'excel'; E. O. Excell bearer

Variations

ExcelAxcell

Nicknames

Cell

Famous Bearers

★Edwin Othello Excell (1851-1921)
American gospel-music publisher and songleader; Excell was his surname

If you like Excell…

Excel— the word and near-spelling behind the name

Wendell— a like -ell surname-name of the era

Russell— a similar two-syllable surname boy's name

Lowell— another vintage -ell surname-name

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By themerare english vintage surname

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Excell mean?

It is an English surname used as a given name; it also echoes the word 'excel,' from Latin meaning to surpass or do exceptionally well.

How do you pronounce Excell?

It is said ek-SEL /ɛkˈsɛl/ - two syllables.

Is Excell a boy or girl name?

Excell is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Excell?

Excell was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year at its peak in the mid-nineteen-forties.