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Marsalis

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How to Pronounce Marsalis

Pronounced mar-SAL-is /mɑrˈsælɪs/Medium

Meaning: Marsalis is chiefly a surname adopted as a first name, best known from the New Orleans jazz family of Wynton and Branford Marsalis; the name is generally traced to a Marseille or Marcellus root, ultimately linked to the Roman war-god Mars.Low

In 30 seconds: Marsalis is a surname used as a first name, famous from the New Orleans jazz family. Said mar-SAL-is, it was never common as a given name, reaching only about twenty boys a year at its late-eighties peak.

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Origin LowFrench, American

MeaningMarsalis is chiefly a surname adopted as a first name, best known from the New Orleans jazz family of Wynton and Branford Marsalis; the name is generally traced to a Marseille or Marcellus root, ultimately linked to the Roman war-god Mars.

U.S. rank (2015)#10234 ↗ Rising

2015 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1989

Total births (all-time)≈ 262

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

Marsalis stepped from surname to given name in the late twentieth century, its visibility boosted by the celebrated Marsalis musicians.

As a first name it stayed rare, given to around twenty boys in its best year, most likely as a nod to the jazz family rather than a broad trend.

Did you know? The Marsalis name is closely tied to jazz through the New Orleans family of Wynton and Branford Marsalis, which lifted the surname into first-name use.

Overall data confidence 40%

References - Marsalis — Surname as given name; New Orleans jazz family echo; Marseille/Marcellus root

Variations

MarcellusMarsalusMarsellis

Nicknames

MarsSalMarc

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If you like Marsalis…

Marcellus— the Latin root name behind the Marsalis surname

Marcel— a like French Marc- name of the same family

Marquis— another surname-style Mar- name used for boys

Marlon— a similar Mar- opening boy's name of the era

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Marsalis mean?

It is a surname used as a given name, traced to a Marseille or Marcellus root linked to the war-god Mars, and famous from the jazz family.

How do you pronounce Marsalis?

It is said mar-SAL-is /mɑrˈsælɪs/, three syllables with the stress on the second.

Is Marsalis a boy or girl name?

Marsalis is recorded as a boy's name.

How popular is Marsalis?

It has always been rare as a first name, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the late nineteen-eighties.