Marla
Girl name · #2055 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 92 baby girls were named Marla, placing it at #2055 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2646, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 19,565 girls born in 2025 was named Marla.
Babies named Marla per year. Source: SSA.
The 113-year story
Marla first appears in the Social Security records in 1912, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1955, when 1,725 girls were named Marla — good for #193 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Marla against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Marla in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Marla is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Marla will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Marla is most common
State-level data for Marla is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Marla
Statistically, parents drawn to Marla tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Carla, Darla, Marta, Pamela, and Mona.
CarlaDarlaMartaPamelaMonaTwilaSheilaMarcia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Marla | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 92 | #2051 |
| 2024 | 79 | #2327 |
| 2023 | 88 | #2156 |
| 2022 | 80 | #2319 |
| 2021 | 75 | #2384 |
| 2020 | 68 | #2523 |
| 2019 | 77 | #2331 |
| 2018 | 63 | #2711 |
| 2017 | 71 | #2508 |
| 2016 | 69 | #2560 |
| 2015 | 67 | #2646 |
| 2014 | 86 | #2194 |
| 2013 | 53 | #3076 |
| 2012 | 71 | #2548 |
| 2011 | 68 | #2614 |
| 2010 | 85 | #2258 |
| 2009 | 67 | #2705 |
| 2008 | 68 | #2690 |
| 2007 | 97 | #2085 |
| 2006 | 73 | #2512 |
| 2005 | 89 | #2088 |
| 2004 | 97 | #1925 |
| 2003 | 86 | #2062 |
| 2002 | 102 | #1771 |
| 2001 | 112 | #1627 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Marla a popular girl name?
Marla ranked #2055 among girls in 2025 with 92 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2646.
When was the name Marla most popular?
Marla peaked in 1955, when 1,725 American girls received the name (ranked #193 that year). Since 1955 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Marla?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 19,565 newborn American girls was named Marla. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.