Marlan
Marlan was the 13220th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1941, when it ranked 1291st with 27 babies. More babies were named Marlan in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Marlon) Origin not documented
- Rank in 2025
- #13,220 boys, down 1,728 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 5boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194127 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,236babies recorded
What does the name Marlan mean?
Marlan is a spelling of Marlon, pronounced the same way, so it shares Marlon's meaning and origin.
Marlon's origin is not known. Wikipedia, citing the Oxford Dictionary of First Names, says the name became widely known through the actor Marlon Brando (whose father was also named Marlon) and that its origin is unknown; a link with French Marc is only speculation. Marlon was most popular in the US in the 1970s and again around 2000, and is also common in Latin America and the Caribbean.
How sure is this? Not documented. No documented origin; the French "Marc" idea is speculation.
Related names: Marlin, Marlen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marlon', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Marlon', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Marlan popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 14 since 1952.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,220 | 5 |
| 2020 | #11,492 | 6 |
| 2010 | #13,547 | 5 |
| 2000 | #8,783 | 7 |
| 1990 | #4,319 | 13 |
| 1980 | #4,793 | 8 |
| 1970 | #2,587 | 14 |
| 1960 | #2,093 | 16 |
| 1950 | #2,080 | 14 |
| 1940 | #1,864 | 15 |
| 1930 | #2,721 | 10 |
| 1920 | #2,296 | 14 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Marlan, counting every spelling?
Marlan is a spelling of Marlon, a name family that ranked #819 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #13,220 for Marlan on its own. Together these spellings went to 290 boys in 2025.
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 Marlan?
5 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marlan (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Marlan 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 1,661 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marlan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marlan?
About 700 people born in the US named Marlan are alive today, with a median age of 54; half are between 36 and 68. That makes Marlan mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Marlan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marlan, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Marlan
How popular is the name Marlan?
Marlan was the 13220th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1941, when it ranked 1291st with 27 babies. More babies were named Marlan in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Marlan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Marlan in the US.