Unisex name · since 1915
Marlyn
Marlyn has 6,806 recorded births since 1915 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1936 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,108 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #5,575 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 6,806
- born since 1915
- 1930s
- peak decade
6,806 babies have been named Marlyn since 1915, making it today's #5575 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Marlyn recorded 6,806 times among girls since 1915, holding rank #5575 nationally today, ahead of 68% 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 1915 to 2025.
- #2,108 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #5,575 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 6,806 born since 1915
- 1930s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marlyn ranks #2,108 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,575 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 6,806 born since 1915, peaking in the 1930s.
- #2,108 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #5,575 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 6,806
- born since 1915
- 1930s
- peak decade
Marlyn's 6,806 recorded births place it above 97.08% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
30 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Marlyn compares
6,806 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Marlyn's all-time total is 18x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marlyn | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,806 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 193 | 21 | 19,840 |
Marlyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Marlyn's SSA record in two at 1970 and the more recent half accounts for 37% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 63%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1916, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1936 peak of 193, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Marlyn popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (1936)
- 193
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Marlyn popularity over time - boys
2,306 total births recorded since 1913 (Marlyn as boys' name)
Marlyn by decade
1930s is the heaviest window (1,492 births, 22% of the file).
1930s was Marlyn's strongest decade.
1,492 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Marlyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 56
1910s
56 births
- 1920s 516
1920s
516 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,492 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,064 births
- 1950s
1950s
682 births
- 1960s 448
1960s
448 births
- 1970s 290
1970s
290 births
- 1980s 408
1980s
408 births
- 1990s
1990s
619 births
- 2000s
2000s
632 births
- 2010s 462
2010s
462 births
- 2020s 137
2020s
137 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 1,492 births (22% of all-time use).
How Marlyn 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 Marlyn's total volume
Marlyn by state
Where Marlyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,115 | 16.4% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 490 | 7.2% |
| #3 | New York | | 401 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Texas | | 309 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 189 | 2.8% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 157 | 2.3% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 143 | 2.1% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 127 | 1.9% |
1,115 of 6,806 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 30 reporting states.
Marlyn appears in 30 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marlyn? ▼
Where does Marlyn sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Marlyn most popular? ▼
Where is Marlyn most popular? ▼
Is Marlyn a unisex name? ▼
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What to do with Marlyn's data
- Marlyn's decade-level peak was the 1930s (1,492 total births); usage has since declined to 137 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Marlyns (1,115 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 Marlyn
Nearby Names Like Marlyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marlyn
Compare Marlyn side by side: Marlyn vs Mary Marlyn vs Margaret Marlyn vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marlyn
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Marlyn: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1936)
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 Marlyn 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.