Total births
30,956
Boys' name · since 1914
Marlon
Marlon has 30,956 recorded births since 1914 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1972 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1083
- among boys today
- 30,956
- born since 1914
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Marlon currently ranks #1083 among boys' names in America, with 30,956 babies recorded since 1914.
Social Security Administration records show Marlon recorded 30,956 times among boys since 1914, holding rank #1083 nationally today, ahead of 92% of boys, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #1083 among boys today
- 30,956 born since 1914
- 1970s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marlon is currently the #1083 boys' name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 30,956 born since 1914, peaking in the 1970s.
- #1083
- among boys today
- 30,956
- born since 1914
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Marlon vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1083
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
1970s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Marlon was born in this single decade.
1972
Single peak year
1,028 babies were named Marlon in 1972 - its busiest year on record.
How Marlon compares
30,956 Top 5% higher than 95% of 14,294 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
Marlon's all-time total is 84x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marlon | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 30,956 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,028 | 23 | 22,252 |
Marlon's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Marlon splits its recorded history at 1970: 81% of all births land in the more recent half, 19% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1914 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1972 peak of 1,028 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Marlon at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1972
Current rank
#1,083
Active since
1914
Marlon popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (1972)
- 1,028
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Marlon popularity over time - girls
336 total births recorded since 1923 (Marlon as girls' name)
Marlon by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Marlon's strongest decade.
7,066 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Marlon births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 42
1910s
42 births
- 1920s 195
1920s
195 births
- 1930s 245
1930s
245 births
- 1940s 303
1940s
303 births
- 1950s 2,226
1950s
2,226 births
- 1960s 2,803
1960s
2,803 births
- 1970s
1970s
7,066 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,528 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,551 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,567 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,138 births
- 2020s 1,292
2020s
1,292 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 7,066 births (23% of all-time use).
How Marlon 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 Marlon's total volume
Marlon vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Marlon by state
Where Marlon concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 4,197 | 13.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 2,470 | 8.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 2,396 | 7.7% |
| #4 | Florida | | 2,042 | 6.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 1,901 | 6.1% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 1,423 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 1,105 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,071 | 3.5% |
California share of Marlon's total US births 13.6%
Even split
4,197 of 30,956 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Marlon appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marlon? ▼
30,956 babies have been named Marlon since 1914. It currently ranks #1083 among boys. The peak year was 1972 with 1,028 births.
When was Marlon most popular? ▼
Marlon was most popular in the 1970s decade with 7,066 total births. The single peak year was 1972.
Where is Marlon most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marlon are California (4,197 births), New York (2,470 births), Texas (2,396 births).
How long has the name Marlon been used? ▼
Records for Marlon go back to 1914, giving 112 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Marlon? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mark, Martin, Marvin, Marcus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Marlon's data
- Marlon's decade-level peak was the 1970s (7,066 total births); usage has since declined to 1,292 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Marlons (4,197 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 Marlon
Nearby Names Like Marlon
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marlon
Mark Boy
#244 1,362,176 births
Martin Boy
#307 315,561 births
Marvin Boy
#671 254,192 births
Marcus Boy
#256 241,657 births
Mario Boy
#398 151,310 births
Compare Marlon side by side: Marlon vs Mark Marlon vs Martin Marlon vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marlon
Kelvin #1082
51,551 births · Peak 1961
Canaan #1084
5,843 births · Peak 2016
Veer #1081
2,922 births · Peak 2025
Kooper #1085
4,012 births · Peak 2022
Arham #1080
2,181 births · Peak 2024
Koah #1086
1,279 births · Peak 2025
Palmer #1079
9,264 births · Peak 2023
Gordon #1087
154,909 births · Peak 1952
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, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marlon: #1083 Boys' Name - 30,956 Births, Peak 1972." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marlon. 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 Marlon 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.