Total births
141,944
Girls' name · since 1880
Marian
Marian has 141,944 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1924 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1152
- among girls today
- 141,944
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
141,944 babies have been named Marian since 1880, making it today's #1152 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Marian recorded 141,944 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #1152 nationally today, ahead of 94% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1152 among girls today
- 141,944 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marian is currently the #1152 girls' name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 141,944 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1152
- among girls today
- 141,944
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Marian vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1152
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Marian was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
4,197 babies were named Marian in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
How Marian compares
141,944 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Marian's all-time total is 372x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marian | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 141,944 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 4,197 | 48 | 19,840 |
Marian's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Marian's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 21% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 79%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 39 births recorded -- set against the 1924 peak of 4,197, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Marian at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1924
Current rank
#1,152
Active since
1880
Marian popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 4,197
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Marian popularity over time - boys
1,351 total births recorded since 1881 (Marian as boys' name)
Marian by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Marian's strongest decade.
38,978 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Marian births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 631
1880s
631 births
- 1890s 2,168
1890s
2,168 births
- 1900s 4,531
1900s
4,531 births
- 1910s
1910s
22,158 births
- 1920s
1920s
38,978 births
- 1930s
1930s
23,907 births
- 1940s
1940s
16,041 births
- 1950s 15,340
1950s
15,340 births
- 1960s 6,768
1960s
6,768 births
- 1970s 2,480
1970s
2,480 births
- 1980s 1,989
1980s
1,989 births
- 1990s 1,771
1990s
1,771 births
- 2000s 2,070
2000s
2,070 births
- 2010s 1,925
2010s
1,925 births
- 2020s 1,187
2020s
1,187 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 38,978 births (27% of all-time use).
How Marian compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Marian's total volume
Marian vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Marian by state
Where Marian concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 15,714 | 11.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 12,490 | 8.8% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 8,645 | 6.1% |
| #4 | California | | 8,164 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 7,827 | 5.5% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 7,510 | 5.3% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 4,604 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 4,452 | 3.1% |
Pennsylvania share of Marian's total US births 11.1%
Even split
15,714 of 141,944 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Marian appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marian? ▼
141,944 babies have been named Marian since 1880. It currently ranks #1152 among girls. The peak year was 1924 with 4,197 births.
When was Marian most popular? ▼
Marian was most popular in the 1920s decade with 38,978 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Marian most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marian are Pennsylvania (15,714 births), New York (12,490 births), Illinois (8,645 births).
How long has the name Marian been used? ▼
Records for Marian go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Marian? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mary, Margaret, Maria, Martha, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Marian's data
- Marian's decade-level peak was the 1920s (38,978 total births); usage has since declined to 1,187 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Marians (15,714 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Marian
Nearby Names Like Marian
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marian
Mary Girl
#131 4,141,481 births
Margaret Girl
#119 1,264,774 births
Maria Girl
#74 566,111 births
Martha Girl
#666 551,741 births
Marie Girl
#632 540,077 births
Compare Marian side by side: Marian vs Mary Marian vs Margaret Marian vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marian
Alitzel #1151
1,185 births · Peak 2023
Angeline #1153
36,874 births · Peak 1921
Devyn #1150
9,422 births · Peak 2000
Elara #1154
1,790 births · Peak 2025
Harriet #1149
90,306 births · Peak 1921
Xolani #1155
1,039 births · Peak 2024
Jazlynn #1148
8,090 births · Peak 2011
Carmela #1156
24,506 births · Peak 1923
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marian: #1152 Girls' Name - 141,944 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marian. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Marian draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.