Total births
5,512
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.
- #3531
- among girls today
- 5,512
- born since 1932
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Marlen is the #3531 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 #3531 nationally and more common than 80% 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.
- #3531 among girls today
- 5,512 born since 1932
- 2000s peak decade
- 80% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marlen is currently the #3531 unisex name in America, more common than 80% of girls - 5,512 born since 1932, peaking in the 2000s.
- #3531
- among girls today
- 5,512
- born since 1932
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other girls
Marlen vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3531
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 80% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Marlen was born in this single decade.
2007
Single peak year
263 babies were named Marlen in 2007 - its busiest year on record.
How Marlen compares
5,512 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Marlen's all-time total is 14x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marlen | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,512 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 263 | 48 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2007
Current rank
#3,531
Active since
1932
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
California share of Marlen's total US births 29.1%
Even split
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
How popular is the name Marlen? ▼
5,512 babies have been named Marlen since 1932. It currently ranks #3531 among girls. The peak year was 2007 with 263 births.
When was Marlen most popular? ▼
Marlen was most popular in the 2000s decade with 2,171 total births. The single peak year was 2007.
Where is Marlen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marlen are California (1,605 births), Texas (1,253 births), Illinois (356 births).
Is Marlen a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Marlen is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 5,512 births, and as a boy's name it has 926 births.
How long has the name Marlen been used? ▼
Records for Marlen go back to 1932, giving 94 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Marlen? ▼
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 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
- 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 Marlen
Nearby Names Like Marlen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marlen
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 Marlen side by side: Marlen vs Mary Marlen vs Margaret Marlen vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marlen
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, 1932–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marlen: #3531 Unisex Name - 5,512 Births, Peak 2007." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marlen. 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 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 June 2026.