Total births
38,781
Girls' name · since 1912
Marla
Marla has 38,781 recorded births since 1912 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1955 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2331
- among girls today
- 38,781
- born since 1912
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Marla is the #2331 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 38,781 recorded since 1912.
Social Security Administration records show Marla recorded 38,781 times among girls since 1912, holding rank #2331 nationally today, ahead of 87% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #2331 among girls today
- 38,781 born since 1912
- 1950s peak decade
- 87% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marla is currently the #2331 girls' name in America, more common than 87% of girls - 38,781 born since 1912, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2331
- among girls today
- 38,781
- born since 1912
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other girls
Marla vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2331
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 87% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Marla was born in this single decade.
1955
Single peak year
1,725 babies were named Marla in 1955 - its busiest year on record.
How Marla compares
38,781 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Marla's all-time total is 102x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marla | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 38,781 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,725 | 48 | 19,840 |
Marla's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Marla splits its recorded history at 1973: 27% of all births land in the more recent half, 73% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1920 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1955 peak of 1,725 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Marla at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1955
Current rank
#2,331
Active since
1912
Marla popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1955)
- 1,725
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Marla popularity over time - boys
38 total births recorded since 1955 (Marla as boys' name)
Marla by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Marla's strongest decade.
11,441 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Marla births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 16
1910s
16 births
- 1920s 73
1920s
73 births
- 1930s 699
1930s
699 births
- 1940s 2,835
1940s
2,835 births
- 1950s
1950s
11,441 births
- 1960s
1960s
10,615 births
- 1970s
1970s
6,613 births
- 1980s 2,776
1980s
2,776 births
- 1990s 1,616
1990s
1,616 births
- 2000s 905
2000s
905 births
- 2010s 710
2010s
710 births
- 2020s 482
2020s
482 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 11,441 births (30% of all-time use).
How Marla 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 Marla's total volume
Marla vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Marla by state
Where Marla concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 4,408 | 11.4% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 2,986 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 2,782 | 7.2% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 2,303 | 5.9% |
| #5 | New York | | 1,884 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 1,664 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 1,652 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,424 | 3.7% |
California share of Marla's total US births 11.4%
Even split
4,408 of 38,781 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Marla appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marla? ▼
38,781 babies have been named Marla since 1912. It currently ranks #2331 among girls. The peak year was 1955 with 1,725 births.
When was Marla most popular? ▼
Marla was most popular in the 1950s decade with 11,441 total births. The single peak year was 1955.
Where is Marla most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marla are California (4,408 births), Illinois (2,986 births), Texas (2,782 births).
How long has the name Marla been used? ▼
Marla has been recorded in Social Security data since 1912, spanning 114 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Marla? ▼
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 Marla's data
- Marla's decade-level peak was the 1950s (11,441 total births); usage has since declined to 482 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Marlas (4,408 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 Marla
Nearby Names Like Marla
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marla
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 Marla side by side: Marla vs Mary Marla vs Margaret Marla vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marla
Isobel #2330
3,802 births · Peak 2016
Emme #2332
3,613 births · Peak 2009
Susana #2329
20,999 births · Peak 1993
Hillary #2333
29,043 births · Peak 1992
Susie #2328
85,789 births · Peak 1919
Shira #2334
5,815 births · Peak 2009
Lizzie #2327
39,538 births · Peak 1919
Gittel #2335
1,479 births · Peak 2024
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marla: #2331 Girls' Name - 38,781 Births, Peak 1955." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marla. 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 Marla 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.