Girls' name · since 1899
Marilyn
Since 1899, U.S. Social Security records show 373,791 babies named Marilyn, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #98 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #760 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 373,791
- born since 1899
- 1940s
- peak decade
373,791 babies have been named Marilyn since 1899, making it today's #760 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Marilyn recorded 373,791 times among girls since 1899, holding rank #760 nationally today, ahead of 96% 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 1899 to 2025.
- #98 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #760 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 373,791 born since 1899
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marilyn ranks #98 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #760 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 373,791 born since 1899, peaking in the 1940s.
- #98 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #760 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 373,791
- born since 1899
- 1940s
- peak decade
Marilyn's 373,791 recorded births place it above 99.86% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Marilyn compares
373,791 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,297 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
Marilyn's all-time total is 994x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marilyn | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 373,791 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 11,881 | 21 | 19,840 |
Marilyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Marilyn's SSA record in two at 1963 and the more recent half accounts for 13% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 87%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1899, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1947 peak of 11,881, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Marilyn popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1899–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 11,881
- Annual births at peak, across 127 years of records
Marilyn popularity over time - boys
1,066 total births recorded since 1922 (Marilyn as boys' name)
Marilyn by decade
1940s is the heaviest window (98,977 births, 26% of the file).
1940s was Marilyn's strongest decade.
98,977 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Marilyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 132
1900s
132 births
- 1910s 1,306
1910s
1,306 births
- 1920s 34,202
1920s
34,202 births
- 1930s
1930s
98,531 births
- 1940s
1940s
98,977 births
- 1950s
1950s
80,161 births
- 1960s 27,002
1960s
27,002 births
- 1970s 7,930
1970s
7,930 births
- 1980s 5,578
1980s
5,578 births
- 1990s 5,750
1990s
5,750 births
- 2000s 5,376
2000s
5,376 births
- 2010s 6,382
2010s
6,382 births
- 2020s 2,459
2020s
2,459 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 98,977 births (26% of all-time use).
How Marilyn 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 Marilyn's total volume
Marilyn by state
Where Marilyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1899
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 39,882 | 10.7% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 29,343 | 7.9% |
| #3 | California | | 28,555 | 7.6% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 26,086 | 7.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 20,668 | 5.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 17,351 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Texas | | 14,863 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 13,499 | 3.6% |
39,882 of 373,791 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Marilyn appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marilyn? ▼
Where does Marilyn sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Marilyn most popular? ▼
Where is Marilyn most popular? ▼
How long has the name Marilyn been used? ▼
What names are similar to Marilyn? ▼
What to do with Marilyn's data
- Marilyn's decade-level peak was the 1940s (98,977 total births); usage has since declined to 2,459 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Marilyns (39,882 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Marilyn
Nearby Names Like Marilyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marilyn
Compare Marilyn side by side: Marilyn vs Mary Marilyn vs Margaret Marilyn vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marilyn
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Marilyn: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1947)
Similar record span (~126 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, 1899–2025 (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 Marilyn 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.