Marion
Marion was the 2044th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 93 babies. Its best year was 1922, when it ranked 42nd; the most babies were born in 1924 (6,047). Over the last ten years it has moved down 533 places. More babies were named Marion in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Marian) from Marion (Mary), or Mary + Ann · English, French, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #2,044 girls, down 197 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 93girls
- Girls and boys
- 67% girls, 33% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19246,047 babies
- Total since 1880
- 261,713babies recorded
What does the name Marion mean?
Marion is a spelling of Marian, pronounced the same way, so it shares Marian's meaning and origin.
Marian is a variant of Marion, a medieval French diminutive of Marie (Mary), and it is also often understood as Mary + Ann or as a form of Mariana, as Wiktionary notes. Mary comes from Hebrew Miryam, of uncertain origin. Maid Marian is the companion of Robin Hood in English legend, and The Music Man (1957) has 'Marian the Librarian'.
Marion (Old French, “diminutive of Marie”)מִרְיָם (Miryam) (Hebrew, “Mary”)
How sure is this? Probable. Several overlapping sources.
Related names: Marion, Marianne, Mary, Mariana.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marian', 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)
Marion popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,044 | #2,504 | 93 | 54 |
| 2020 | #1,847 | #2,360 | 106 | 57 |
| 2010 | #2,037 | #1,370 | 98 | 124 |
| 2000 | #1,342 | #1,269 | 141 | 103 |
| 1990 | #1,069 | #884 | 166 | 136 |
| 1980 | #828 | #614 | 190 | 204 |
| 1970 | #513 | #465 | 383 | 304 |
| 1960 | #330 | #335 | 810 | 540 |
| 1950 | #196 | #224 | 1,387 | 820 |
| 1940 | #120 | #158 | 2,111 | 1,049 |
| 1930 | #60 | #126 | 4,305 | 1,389 |
| 1920 | #43 | #109 | 5,745 | 1,604 |
| 1910 | #59 | #108 | 1,703 | 286 |
| 1900 | #66 | #124 | 1,197 | 189 |
| 1890 | #106 | #116 | 386 | 137 |
| 1880 | #137 | #80 | 115 | 189 |
How popular is Marion, counting every spelling?
Marion is a spelling of Marian, a name family that ranked #521 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,044 for Marion on its own. Together these spellings went to 583 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marian | 217 | #1,103 | 1,023 |
| Marion | 93 | #2,044 | 573 |
| Maryann | 114 | #1,773 | 483 |
| Marianne | 110 | #1,828 | 464 |
| Maryanne | 41 | #3,686 | 205 |
| Mariann | 8 | #11,549 | 54 |
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 Marion?
93 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marion (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Marion 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 90 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marion.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marion?
About 40,000 people born in the US named Marion are alive today, with a median age of 73; half are between 60 and 83. That makes Marion 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.
Marion by state
How common Marion was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Washington (2.7×), Virginia (2.0×). In 33 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Marion: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marion, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Marion
What does Marion mean?
Marion is a spelling of Marian, which means “from Marion (Mary), or Mary + Ann” (English, French, Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Marion?
Marion was the 2044th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 93 babies. Its best year was 1922, when it ranked 42nd; the most babies were born in 1924 (6,047). Over the last ten years it has moved down 533 places. More babies were named Marion in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Marion a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 67% girls, 33% boys given the name Marion in the US.
Where is Marion most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marion was most common in Washington (0.19 per 1,000 girls), followed by Virginia and Oregon.