Marilyn
Marilyn is a feminine given name.
Meaning & Origin of Marilyn
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Marilyn is a feminine given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Marilyn
Marilyn first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1899, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1947, when 11,881 Marilyns were born — ranking #29 that year. As of 2026, Marilyn ranks #703 for baby girls with 406 births, falling sharply (-15%). In total, more than 374K Marilyns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Marilyn
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Marilyn (singer) (born 1962), British entertainer
- Marilyn Agliotti (born 1979), Dutch-South African field hockey player
- Marilyn Anderson , Australian scientist
- Marilyn Aschner (born 1948), American professional tennis player
- Marilyn Avila (born 1949), American politician
- Marilyn Bergman (1928–2022), American composer, songwriter and author
- Marilyn Borden (1932–2009), American singer and actress
- Marilyn Brick , Canadian politician
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Marilyn
Phonetically similar names — useful when Marilyn is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marilyn
What does the name Marilyn mean?
How popular is Marilyn in 2026?
When was Marilyn most popular?
In which U.S. states is Marilyn most popular?
Is Marilyn a unisex name?
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About the name Marilyn
Marilyn is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1899 and has accumulated 374K births in the dataset. Marilyn's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #13. Use the chart and map above to compare Marilyn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1947 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.