Total births
3,231
Girls' name · since 1915
Marilou
Marilou has 3,231 recorded births since 1915 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1948 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #11190
- among girls today
- 3,231
- born since 1915
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
3,231 babies have been named Marilou since 1915, making it today's #11190 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Marilou recorded 3,231 times among girls since 1915, holding rank #11190 nationally today, ahead of 37% of girls, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2024.
- #11190 among girls today
- 3,231 born since 1915
- 1940s peak decade
- 37% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marilou is currently the #11190 girls' name in America, more common than 37% of girls - 3,231 born since 1915, peaking in the 1940s.
- #11190
- among girls today
- 3,231
- born since 1915
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Marilou vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#11190
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 37% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Marilou was born in this single decade.
1948
Single peak year
90 babies were named Marilou in 1948 - its busiest year on record.
How Marilou compares
3,231 Top 17% higher than 83% 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
Marilou's all-time total is 8x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marilou | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,231 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 90 | 48 | 19,840 |
Marilou's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Marilou splits its recorded history at 1965: 17% of all births land in the more recent half, 83% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1997 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1948 peak of 90 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Marilou at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1948
Current rank
#11,190
Active since
1915
Marilou popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2024
- Peak year (1948)
- 90
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Marilou by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Marilou's strongest decade.
729 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Marilou births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 64
1910s
64 births
- 1920s
1920s
376 births
- 1930s
1930s
618 births
- 1940s
1940s
729 births
- 1950s
1950s
697 births
- 1960s
1960s
295 births
- 1970s 143
1970s
143 births
- 1980s 106
1980s
106 births
- 1990s 81
1990s
81 births
- 2000s 47
2000s
47 births
- 2010s 43
2010s
43 births
- 2020s 32
2020s
32 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 729 births (23% of all-time use).
How Marilou 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 Marilou's total volume
Marilou vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Marilou by state
Where Marilou concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 220 | 6.8% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 208 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 205 | 6.3% |
| #4 | New York | | 182 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 175 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 111 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 98 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Washington | | 47 | 1.5% |
California share of Marilou's total US births 6.8%
Even split
220 of 3,231 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Marilou appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marilou? ▼
Marilou has been given to 3,231 babies in the U.S. since 1915, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #11190 as of the latest data. 90 babies were born in 1948, its single highest year.
When was Marilou most popular? ▼
Marilou was most popular in the 1940s decade with 729 total births. The single peak year was 1948.
Where is Marilou most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marilou are California (220 births), Ohio (208 births), Illinois (205 births).
How long has the name Marilou been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Marilou since 1915 -- 110 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Marilou? ▼
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 Marilou's data
- Marilou's decade-level peak was the 1940s (729 total births); usage has since declined to 32 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Marilous (220 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Marilou
Nearby Names Like Marilou
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marilou
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 Marilou side by side: Marilou vs Mary Marilou vs Margaret Marilou vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marilou
Fara #11189
1,093 births · Peak 1977
Lyn #11191
7,220 births · Peak 1957
Lylian #11188
379 births · Peak 2006
Lilias #11192
105 births · Peak 1922
Vicki #11187
153,266 births · Peak 1954
Hedy #11193
2,316 births · Peak 1942
Jeannine #11186
24,066 births · Peak 1929
Janita #11194
1,837 births · Peak 1963
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, 1915–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marilou: #11190 Girls' Name - 3,231 Births, Peak 1948." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marilou. 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 Marilou 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.