Marcela is the Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Marcellus, a Roman family name that is a diminutive of Marcus and is usually explained as "little warrior" or "dedicated to Mars". Cervantes gave the name to the independent shepherdess in Don Quixote. In the US Marcela is used mainly in Hispanic families; it peaked at number 1070 in 2001 and ranks number 1554 in 2025.