Sibling names for Marlene
Names that sound like they belong in the same family as Marlene usually share its era. These sister and brother names rose and fell on a similar curve to Marlene, whose busiest decade was the 1930s, and are about as common, so neither child's name will feel dated or unusual next to the other.
Sister names for Marlene
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies, last 5 years | Peak decade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joanne | from Joanna, or Jo + Anne | #2,630 | 355 | 1950s |
| Patsy | pet form of Patricia or Patrick | #6,059 | 92 | 1940s |
| Shirley | bright clearing; shire meadow | #1,586 | 662 | 1930s |
| Barbara | foreign woman | #968 | 1,464 | 1940s |
| Beverly | beaver stream (place name) | #1,018 | 1,102 | 1950s |
| Joyce | lord (Breton, via Josse) | #1,074 | 1,247 | 1940s |
| Bobbie | pet form of Roberta | #2,067 | 343 | 1930s |
| Peggy | pet form of Margaret | #8,740 | 82 | 1950s |
| Rosemarie | Rose + Marie | #1,767 | 577 | 1940s |
Brother names for Marlene
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies, last 5 years | Peak decade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Jimmy | pet form of James | #847 | 1,536 | 1940s |
| Billy | pet form of William | #1,068 | 1,037 | 1930s |
| Ronald | ruler with counsel (Norse, via Scottish Gaelic) | #638 | 2,429 | 1940s |
| Jerry | pet form of Gerald, Gerard, Jeremy and others | #907 | 1,523 | 1940s |
| Benny | pet form of Benjamin | #841 | 1,197 | 1940s |
| Freddie | pet form of Frederick | #1,510 | 414 | 1940s |
| Roger | famous spear (Germanic) | #834 | 1,712 | 1950s |
| Duane | variant of Duane; "dark" | #2,578 | 345 | 1950s |
Marlene's era
Marlene ranked #1,268 for girls in 2025, against #1,169 in 2015. Its best year was 1935, at #39. 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, Marlene included.
Girls: Elizabeth, Lydia, Cecilia, Julia, Nina. Boys: Samuel, Anthony, Wesley, Vincent, Calvin, Victor.
Same era, but close to Marlene
These names follow Marlene's curve too, but we left them out above because they share a first letter or an ending with Marlene. Some parents like that echo; if you do, start here.
How these were chosen
Each suggestion's share of US babies has followed a curve close to Marlene's since 1880, and its recent number of babies is within about twelve times Marlene's, so the names are in the same league. Names starting with the same letter as Marlene or with the same ending are left out, so the names go together without matching. Spellings of Marlene itself are excluded.