Marlena
Girl name · #2968 in 2025 · Uniqueness 80/100
Marlena is currently the #2968 girl name in the United States — 56 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2471, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 32,143 girls born in 2025 was named Marlena.
The 100-year story
Marlena first appears in the Social Security records in 1925, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1978, when 470 girls were named Marlena — good for #430 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.
Babies named Marlena per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Marlena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Marlena in class?
Marlena scores 80 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Marlena will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Marlena is most common
Geography matters for names, and Marlena is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Marlenas were PA (9), CA (7), NY (7). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Marlena
Statistically, parents drawn to Marlena tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lorena, Maricela, Suzanna, Katrina, and Celena.
LorenaMaricelaSuzannaKatrinaCelenaMirnaSalinaMelisa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Marlena | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 56 | #2957 |
| 2024 | 44 | #3516 |
| 2023 | 54 | #3047 |
| 2022 | 67 | #2604 |
| 2021 | 56 | #2958 |
| 2020 | 72 | #2416 |
| 2019 | 73 | #2428 |
| 2018 | 78 | #2334 |
| 2017 | 62 | #2744 |
| 2016 | 82 | #2308 |
| 2015 | 73 | #2471 |
| 2014 | 92 | #2096 |
| 2013 | 100 | #1968 |
| 2012 | 83 | #2265 |
| 2011 | 77 | #2395 |
| 2010 | 72 | #2538 |
| 2009 | 100 | #2041 |
| 2008 | 108 | #1949 |
| 2007 | 97 | #2085 |
| 2006 | 113 | #1809 |
| 2005 | 122 | #1639 |
| 2004 | 95 | #1962 |
| 2003 | 104 | #1802 |
| 2002 | 140 | #1376 |
| 2001 | 139 | #1368 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Marlena a popular girl name?
Marlena ranked #2968 among girls in 2025 with 56 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2471.
When was the name Marlena most popular?
Marlena peaked in 1978, when 470 American girls received the name (ranked #430 that year). Since 1978 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Marlena?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 32,143 newborn American girls was named Marlena. It scores 80/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "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.