Total births
130,573
Girls' name · since 1904
Marlene
Since 1904, U.S. Social Security records show 130,573 babies named Marlene, peaking in 1936. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1553
- among girls today
- 130,573
- born since 1904
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
130,573 babies have been named Marlene since 1904, making it today's #1553 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Marlene recorded 130,573 times among girls since 1904, holding rank #1553 nationally today, ahead of 91% of girls, peaking in the 1930s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1904 to 2025.
- #1553 among girls today
- 130,573 born since 1904
- 1930s peak decade
- 91% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marlene is currently the #1553 girls' name in America, more common than 91% of girls - 130,573 born since 1904, peaking in the 1930s.
- #1553
- among girls today
- 130,573
- born since 1904
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
Marlene vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1553
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 91% of names given to girls today.
1930s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Marlene was born in this single decade.
1936
Single peak year
5,332 babies were named Marlene in 1936 - its busiest year on record.
How Marlene compares
130,573 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Marlene's all-time total is 342x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marlene | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 130,573 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,332 | 48 | 19,840 |
Marlene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Marlene's full recorded timeline at 1966, 22% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 78% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1904, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1936 peak of 5,332 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Marlene at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1936
Current rank
#1,553
Active since
1904
Marlene popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1904–2025
- Peak year (1936)
- 5,332
- Annual births at peak, across 122 years of records
Marlene popularity over time - boys
359 total births recorded since 1931 (Marlene as boys' name)
Marlene by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Marlene's strongest decade.
37,355 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Marlene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 18
1900s
18 births
- 1910s 263
1910s
263 births
- 1920s 774
1920s
774 births
- 1930s
1930s
37,355 births
- 1940s
1940s
29,295 births
- 1950s
1950s
25,251 births
- 1960s 12,951
1960s
12,951 births
- 1970s 5,728
1970s
5,728 births
- 1980s 4,769
1980s
4,769 births
- 1990s 5,716
1990s
5,716 births
- 2000s 5,283
2000s
5,283 births
- 2010s 2,222
2010s
2,222 births
- 2020s 948
2020s
948 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 37,355 births (29% of all-time use).
How Marlene 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 Marlene's total volume
Marlene vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Marlene by state
Where Marlene concentrates geographically, total births since 1904
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 15,972 | 12.2% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 12,025 | 9.2% |
| #3 | New York | | 11,902 | 9.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 8,839 | 6.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 8,087 | 6.2% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 7,503 | 5.7% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 5,116 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 4,931 | 3.8% |
California share of Marlene's total US births 12.2%
Even split
15,972 of 130,573 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Marlene appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marlene? ▼
130,573 babies have been named Marlene since 1904. It currently ranks #1553 among girls. The peak year was 1936 with 5,332 births.
When was Marlene most popular? ▼
Marlene was most popular in the 1930s decade with 37,355 total births. The single peak year was 1936.
Where is Marlene most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marlene are California (15,972 births), Pennsylvania (12,025 births), New York (11,902 births).
How long has the name Marlene been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Marlene since 1904 -- 122 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Marlene? ▼
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 Marlene's data
- Marlene's decade-level peak was the 1930s (37,355 total births); usage has since declined to 948 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Marlenes (15,972 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 Marlene
Nearby Names Like Marlene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marlene
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 Marlene side by side: Marlene vs Mary Marlene vs Margaret Marlene vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marlene
Brynnlee #1552
1,962 births · Peak 2021
Danica #1554
16,522 births · Peak 2007
Laikyn #1551
2,119 births · Peak 2018
Alissa #1555
38,591 births · Peak 1998
Lillianna #1550
6,583 births · Peak 2011
Kamille #1556
5,661 births · Peak 2011
Estefany #1549
5,660 births · Peak 2006
Jamila #1557
8,322 births · Peak 1977
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, 1904–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marlene: #1553 Girls' Name - 130,573 Births, Peak 1936." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marlene. 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 Marlene 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.