Marilyn
Marilyn was the 761st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 356 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 13th; the most babies were born in 1947 (11,881). Over the last ten years it has moved down 335 places. More babies were named Marilyn in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning blend of Mary and Lynn · English
Say it MAIR-uh-lin /ˈmɛrəlɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #761 girls, down 127 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 356girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194711,881 babies
- Total since 1880
- 374,857babies recorded
What does the name Marilyn mean?
Marilyn is a 20th-century blend of Mary and Lynn, according to Wiktionary. Mary goes back to Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning DMNES calls uncertain. Lynn is a separate name. Marilyn was most common in the US in the 1930s and 1940s, and the actress Marilyn Monroe gave it lasting fame; Wiktionary notes that Scottish hillwalkers even call a class of hills "Marilyns" as a pun on her name.
Mary (English, “from Hebrew Miryam (uncertain)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Coinage from two names; Mary's own origin is uncertain (DMNES).
Related names: Marylin, Marilynn, Mary, Lynn.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marilyn' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mary', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Marilyn popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,066 since 1922.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #761 | 356 |
| 2020 | #634 | 457 |
| 2010 | #548 | 536 |
| 2000 | #509 | 524 |
| 1990 | #433 | 582 |
| 1980 | #394 | 579 |
| 1970 | #248 | 1,256 |
| 1960 | #118 | 4,071 |
| 1950 | #37 | 9,285 |
| 1940 | #25 | 8,704 |
| 1930 | #22 | 9,288 |
| 1920 | #288 | 522 |
| 1910 | #1,051 | 18 |
| 1900 | #1,148 | 12 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Marilyn, counting every spelling?
Marilyn is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #678 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #761 for Marilyn on its own. Together these spellings went to 420 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marilyn | 356 | #761 | 2,002 |
| Marilynn | 41 | #3,685 | 228 |
| Marylynn | 16 | #7,024 | 62 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Marilyn?
356 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marilyn (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Marilyn born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 24 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marilyn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marilyn?
About 196,400 people born in the US named Marilyn are alive today, with a median age of 74; half are between 64 and 81. That makes Marilyn a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Marilyn by state
How common Marilyn was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nevada (2.0×), Louisiana (1.7×), Indiana (1.6×), Ohio (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Carolina, Iowa, Nebraska.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Marilyn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marilyn, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Marilyn · Sibling names for Marilyn
Questions about the name Marilyn
What does Marilyn mean?
Marilyn is usually explained as “blend of Mary and Lynn”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Marilyn?
Marilyn was the 761st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 356 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 13th; the most babies were born in 1947 (11,881). Over the last ten years it has moved down 335 places. More babies were named Marilyn in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Marilyn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Marilyn in the US.
Where is Marilyn most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marilyn was most common in Nevada (0.49 per 1,000 girls), followed by Louisiana and Indiana.