Sibling names for Marilyn
Names that sound like they belong in the same family as Marilyn usually share its era. These sister and brother names rose and fell on a similar curve to Marilyn, whose busiest decade was the 1940s, and are about as common, so neither child's name will feel dated or unusual next to the other.
Sister names for Marilyn
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies, last 5 years | Peak decade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyce | lord (Breton, via Josse) | #1,074 | 1,247 | 1940s |
| Beverly | beaver stream (place name) | #1,018 | 1,102 | 1950s |
| Dolores | sorrows (Our Lady of Sorrows) | #2,567 | 320 | 1930s |
| Barbara | foreign woman | #968 | 1,464 | 1940s |
| Joanne | from Joanna, or Jo + Anne | #2,630 | 355 | 1950s |
| Shirley | bright clearing; shire meadow | #1,586 | 662 | 1930s |
| Gloria | glory (Latin) | #655 | 2,327 | 1940s |
| Arlene | 19th-century coinage | #1,632 | 585 | 1930s |
| Bobbie | pet form of Roberta | #2,067 | 343 | 1930s |
| Elaine | Old French form of Helen | #305 | 3,996 | 1940s |
Brother names for Marilyn
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies, last 5 years | Peak decade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gene | short form of Eugene, 'well born' | #2,238 | 377 | 1930s |
| Billy | pet form of William | #1,068 | 1,037 | 1930s |
| Bobby | pet form of Robert | #1,097 | 986 | 1930s |
| Don | short form of Donald, 'world ruler' | #1,795 | 492 | 1940s |
| Gerald | spear rule | #1,206 | 982 | 1940s |
| Donald | world ruler (Gaelic) | #690 | 2,089 | 1930s |
| Jimmy | pet form of James | #847 | 1,536 | 1940s |
| Richard | strong ruler | #234 | 8,165 | 1950s |
| Jerry | pet form of Gerald, Gerard, Jeremy and others | #907 | 1,523 | 1940s |
| Roger | famous spear (Germanic) | #834 | 1,712 | 1950s |
| Duane | variant of Duane; "dark" | #2,578 | 345 | 1950s |
Marilyn's era
Marilyn ranked #761 for girls in 2025, against #426 in 2015. Its best year was 1936, at #13. Names that rose and fell with it share its period feel, which keeps the set consistent.
Timeless names that go with any sibling
These names have been used steadily for a hundred years, so they sit comfortably next to a name from any era, Marilyn included.
Girls: Elizabeth, Lydia, Cecilia, Julia, Nina, Carmen. Boys: Samuel, Anthony, Wesley, Vincent, Calvin, Victor.
Same era, but close to Marilyn
These names follow Marilyn's curve too, but we left them out above because they share a first letter or an ending with Marilyn. Some parents like that echo; if you do, start here.
- Wayne same ending as Marilyn
How these were chosen
Each suggestion's share of US babies has followed a curve close to Marilyn's since 1880, and its recent number of babies is within about twelve times Marilyn's, so the names are in the same league. Names starting with the same letter as Marilyn or with the same ending are left out, so the names go together without matching. Spellings of Marilyn itself are excluded.