Marlyn
Marlyn was the 5653rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 22 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 464th with 193 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,965 places. More babies were named Marlyn in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Marlene) Maria + Magdalene (German) · German, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #5,653 girls, down 1,143 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 22girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1936193 babies
- Total since 1880
- 9,112babies recorded
What does the name Marlyn mean?
Marlyn is a spelling of Marlene, pronounced the same way, so it shares Marlene's meaning and origin.
Marlene is a German contraction of Maria and Magdalene, borrowed into English in the early 20th century, as Wiktionary notes; it became famous through the actress Marlene Dietrich (born Marie Magdalene) and the WWII song 'Lili Marleen'. Mary is from Hebrew Miryam, of uncertain origin, and Magdalene means 'of Magdala', a town whose name comes from a word for 'tower'.
Maria + Magdalena (German, “Mary Magdalene”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Marlena, Marleen, Magdalena, Mary.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marlene', 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. 'Magdalene', DMNES (Durham University)
Marlyn popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,653 | — | 22 | — |
| 2020 | #4,510 | #13,355 | 30 | 5 |
| 2010 | #2,861 | — | 61 | — |
| 2000 | #3,004 | #7,199 | 47 | 9 |
| 1990 | #2,063 | #7,752 | 65 | 6 |
| 1980 | #2,632 | — | 36 | — |
| 1970 | #2,034 | #3,717 | 41 | 8 |
| 1960 | #1,875 | #2,633 | 37 | 11 |
| 1950 | #967 | #1,384 | 88 | 28 |
| 1940 | #590 | #856 | 140 | 55 |
| 1930 | #751 | #695 | 87 | 81 |
| 1920 | #2,539 | #1,674 | 14 | 22 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Marlyn, counting every spelling?
Marlyn is a spelling of Marlene, a name family that ranked #948 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,653 for Marlyn on its own. Together these spellings went to 256 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marlene | 177 | #1,268 | 813 |
| Marlen | 42 | #3,626 | 229 |
| Marlyn | 22 | #5,653 | 107 |
| Marleen | 8 | #11,554 | 58 |
| Marlynn | 7 | #12,713 | 28 |
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 Marlyn?
22 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marlyn (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Marlyn 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 381 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marlyn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marlyn?
About 4,300 people born in the US named Marlyn are alive today, with a median age of 45; half are between 24 and 74. That makes Marlyn mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Marlyn by state
How common Marlyn was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 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 Marlyn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marlyn, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Marlyn
What does Marlyn mean?
Marlyn is a spelling of Marlene, which means “Maria + Magdalene (German)” (German, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Marlyn?
Marlyn was the 5653rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 22 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 464th with 193 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,965 places. More babies were named Marlyn in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Marlyn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Marlyn in the US.
Where is Marlyn most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marlyn was most common in California (0.02 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Texas.