Marlyn vs Mary

Side-by-side comparison of Marlyn and Mary — popularity rank, total births, peak decade, and historical trends from Social Security Administration data.

Name A

Marlyn

Girl name · Rank #6169

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Name B

Mary

Girl name · Rank #132

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Which name is more popular?

Metric Marlyn Mary
Current Rank #6169 #132
Total Births (all years) 6,784 4,139,160
Peak Year 1936 1921
Peak Year Births 193 73,984
Peak Decade 1930ss 1920ss
Gender Girl Girl
First Recorded Year 1915 1880

Births by Decade

Decade Marlyn Mary
1880ss — 91,668
1890ss — 131,138
1900ss — 161,504
1910ss 56 478,636
1920ss 516 701,756
1930ss 1,492 572,997
1940ss 1,064 640,070
1950ss 682 625,609
1960ss 448 355,238
1970ss 290 126,254
1980ss 408 95,862
1990ss 619 75,713
2000ss 632 46,310
2010ss 462 25,683
2020ss 115 10,722

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Marlyn Mary
2014 59 2,636
2015 42 2,642
2016 38 2,526
2017 24 2,424
2018 22 2,369
2019 19 2,239
2020 30 2,229
2021 24 2,100
2022 21 2,116
2023 21 2,081
2024 19 2,196

Data Sources

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
Source: SSA Annual Name Rankings, 1915–2024.

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