Total births
373,791
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.
- #665
- among girls today
- 373,791
- born since 1899
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
373,791 babies have been named Marilyn since 1899, making it today's #665 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Marilyn recorded 373,791 times among girls since 1899, holding rank #665 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.
- #665 among girls today
- 373,791 born since 1899
- 1940s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marilyn is currently the #665 girls' name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 373,791 born since 1899, peaking in the 1940s.
- #665
- among girls today
- 373,791
- born since 1899
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Marilyn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#665
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Marilyn was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
11,881 babies were named Marilyn in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Marilyn compares
373,791 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Marilyn's all-time total is 979x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marilyn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 373,791 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 11,881 | 48 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1947
Current rank
#665
Active since
1899
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
New York share of Marilyn's total US births 10.7%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1899, Social Security records show 373,791 babies named Marilyn. Today it holds rank #665 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1947, with 11,881 births.
When was Marilyn most popular? ▼
Marilyn was most popular in the 1940s decade with 98,977 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Marilyn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marilyn are New York (39,882 births), Illinois (29,343 births), California (28,555 births).
How long has the name Marilyn been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Marilyn since 1899 -- 127 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Marilyn? ▼
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 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
- 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 Marilyn
Nearby Names Like Marilyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marilyn
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 Marilyn side by side: Marilyn vs Mary Marilyn vs Margaret Marilyn vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marilyn
Dulce #664
20,306 births · Peak 2007
Martha #666
551,741 births · Peak 1947
Macy #663
32,749 births · Peak 2003
Khaleesi #667
5,537 births · Peak 2018
Rosa #662
177,415 births · Peak 1925
Adley #668
6,160 births · Peak 2021
Averie #661
13,448 births · Peak 2014
Ellianna #669
6,212 births · Peak 2023
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, 1899–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marilyn: #665 Girls' Name - 373,791 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marilyn. 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 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 June 2026.