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.
- #3,433 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 3,231
- born since 1915
- 1940s
- peak decade
Marilou sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 3,231 recorded since 1915.
Social Security Administration records show Marilou recorded 3,231 times among girls since 1915, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, 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.
- #3,433 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 3,231 born since 1915
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marilou ranks #3,433 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 3,231 born since 1915, peaking in the 1940s.
- #3,433 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 3,231
- born since 1915
- 1940s
- peak decade
Marilou's 3,231 recorded births place it above 95.25% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
18 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
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 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
1940s is the heaviest window (729 births, 23% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Marilou sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Marilou most popular? ▼
Where is Marilou most popular? ▼
How long has the name Marilou been used? ▼
What names are similar to Marilou? ▼
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
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
Compare Marilou side by side: Marilou vs Mary Marilou vs Margaret Marilou vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Marilou: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1948)
Similar record span (~109 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.