Boys' name · since 1915
Marlan
Marlan has 1,222 recorded births since 1915 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1941 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4,520 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,115 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,222
- born since 1915
- 1970s
- peak decade
1,222 babies have been named Marlan since 1915, making it today's #12115 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marlan has been recorded 1,222 times among boys since 1915, currently ranked #12115 nationally and more common than 13% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #4,520 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,115 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,222 born since 1915
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marlan ranks #4,520 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,115 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,222 born since 1915, peaking in the 1970s.
- #4,520 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,115 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,222
- born since 1915
- 1970s
- peak decade
Marlan's 1,222 recorded births place it above 90.05% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by Minnesota.
How Marlan compares
1,222 Top 29% higher than 71% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Marlan's all-time total is 3x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marlan | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,222 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 27 | 34 | 22,252 |
Marlan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Marlan's SSA record in two at 1965 and the more recent half accounts for 41% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 59%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1917, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1941 peak of 27, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Marlan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (1941)
- 27
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Marlan popularity over time - girls
14 total births recorded since 1952 (Marlan as girls' name)
Marlan by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (178 births, 15% of the file).
1970s was Marlan's strongest decade.
178 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Marlan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 18
1910s
18 births
- 1920s
1920s
119 births
- 1930s
1930s
172 births
- 1940s
1940s
156 births
- 1950s
1950s
173 births
- 1960s
1960s
155 births
- 1970s
1970s
178 births
- 1980s 60
1980s
60 births
- 1990s
1990s
85 births
- 2000s 57
2000s
57 births
- 2010s 28
2010s
28 births
- 2020s 21
2020s
21 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 178 births (15% of all-time use).
How Marlan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Marlan's total volume
Marlan by state
Where Marlan concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | | 12 | 1.0% |
| #2 | California | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.4% |
12 of 1,222 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marlan? ▼
Where does Marlan sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Marlan most popular? ▼
Where is Marlan most popular? ▼
How long has the name Marlan been used? ▼
What names are similar to Marlan? ▼
What to do with Marlan's data
- Marlan's decade-level peak was the 1970s (178 total births); usage has since declined to 21 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Minnesota records the most Marlans (12 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Marlan
Nearby Names Like Marlan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marlan
Compare Marlan side by side: Marlan vs Mark Marlan vs Martin Marlan vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marlan
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Marlan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1941)
Similar record span (~110 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, 1915–2025 (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 Marlan 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.