Unisex name · since 1932
Marlen
Marlen has 5,512 recorded births since 1932 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2007 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,414 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #3,596 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,512
- born since 1932
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Marlen is the #3596 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 5,512 recorded since 1932.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marlen has been recorded 5,512 times among girls since 1932, currently ranked #3596 nationally and more common than 79% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1932 to 2025.
- #2,414 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #3,596 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 5,512 born since 1932
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marlen ranks #2,414 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,596 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 5,512 born since 1932, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2,414 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #3,596 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,512
- born since 1932
- 2000s
- peak decade
Marlen's 5,512 recorded births place it above 96.66% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
19 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Marlen compares
5,512 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Marlen's all-time total is 15x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marlen | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,512 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 263 | 21 | 19,840 |
Marlen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Marlen splits its recorded history at 1984: 88% of all births land in the more recent half, 12% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1934 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2007 peak of 263 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Marlen popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1932–2025
- Peak year (2007)
- 263
- Annual births at peak, across 94 years of records
Marlen popularity over time - boys
926 total births recorded since 1915 (Marlen as boys' name)
Marlen by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (2,171 births, 39% of the file).
2000s was Marlen's strongest decade.
2,171 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Marlen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 42
1930s
42 births
- 1940s 44
1940s
44 births
- 1950s 32
1950s
32 births
- 1960s 126
1960s
126 births
- 1970s 229
1970s
229 births
- 1980s 473
1980s
473 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,337 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,171 births
- 2010s 773
2010s
773 births
- 2020s 285
2020s
285 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 2,171 births (39% of all-time use).
How Marlen 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 Marlen's total volume
Marlen by state
Where Marlen concentrates geographically, total births since 1932
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,605 | 29.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,253 | 22.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 356 | 6.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 131 | 2.4% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 120 | 2.2% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 105 | 1.9% |
| #7 | Florida | | 102 | 1.9% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 70 | 1.3% |
1,605 of 5,512 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 19 reporting states.
Marlen appears in 19 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Marlen's data
- Marlen's decade-level peak was the 2000s (2,171 total births); usage has since declined to 285 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Marlens (1,605 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 Marlen
Nearby Names Like Marlen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marlen
Compare Marlen side by side: Marlen vs Mary Marlen vs Margaret Marlen vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marlen
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Marlen: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2007)
Similar record span (~93 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, 1932–2025 (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 Marlen 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.