Marlene
Girl name · #1264 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 177 baby girls were named Marlene, placing it at #1264 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1167, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 10,169 girls born in 2025 was named Marlene.
The 121-year story
Marlene first appears in the Social Security records in 1904, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1936, when 5,332 girls were named Marlene — good for #39 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 Marlene per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Marlene against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Marlene in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Marlene is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Marlene will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Marlene is most common
Geography matters for names, and Marlene is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Marlene is most common in AZ (0.4 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000), PA (0.2 per 1,000), OH (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Marlene is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Marlene
Statistically, parents drawn to Marlene tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Arlene, Irene, Charlene, Roxanne, and Darlene.
ArleneIreneCharleneRoxanneDarleneHeleneLorraineMaryann
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Marlene | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 177 | #1261 |
| 2024 | 137 | #1553 |
| 2023 | 167 | #1348 |
| 2022 | 191 | #1256 |
| 2021 | 141 | #1498 |
| 2020 | 135 | #1559 |
| 2019 | 160 | #1406 |
| 2018 | 163 | #1378 |
| 2017 | 194 | #1233 |
| 2016 | 199 | #1229 |
| 2015 | 216 | #1167 |
| 2014 | 211 | #1164 |
| 2013 | 230 | #1073 |
| 2012 | 257 | #978 |
| 2011 | 299 | #873 |
| 2010 | 293 | #901 |
| 2009 | 392 | #739 |
| 2008 | 491 | #628 |
| 2007 | 591 | #528 |
| 2006 | 591 | #515 |
| 2005 | 537 | #538 |
| 2004 | 606 | #485 |
| 2003 | 559 | #513 |
| 2002 | 510 | #538 |
| 2001 | 487 | #544 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Marlene a popular girl name?
Marlene ranked #1264 among girls in 2025 with 177 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1167.
When was the name Marlene most popular?
Marlene peaked in 1936, when 5,332 American girls received the name (ranked #39 that year). Since 1936 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Marlene?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 10,169 newborn American girls was named Marlene. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it 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.