Boy · #1,047 in 2026

Marlon

Name: Popularity of the name Marlon in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Marlon, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Marlon is a masculine given name. According to the Oxford Dictionary of First Names, the popularity of Marlon Brando led to general awareness of the name, though the origin of the name is not known. Speculation places the name's origin in France as a derivative of Marc.

English

Current Rank

#1,047

Peak Rank

#217 (1972)

Total Babies

31K

5-Yr Trend

-12%

1923

First Year

2000

Last Year

1973

Peak Year

#3233

Peak Rank

336

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Marlon

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English

The Story of Marlon

Marlon first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1914, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1972, when 1,028 Marlons were born — ranking #217 that year. As of 2026, Marlon ranks #1,047 for baby boys with 212 births, gradually falling (-12%). In total, more than 31K Marlons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Marlon

Phonetically similar names — useful when Marlon is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Marlin
Marlan
Marlyn
Morlan
Marlene
Marleen
Marline
Marling
Martian
Marla
Marlins
Marchan

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Marlon

What does the name Marlon mean?

What is the origin of the name Marlon?

Marlon has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is Marlon in 2026?

In 2026, Marlon ranks #1,047 among boys' names in the U.S., with 212 babies given the name that year.

When was Marlon most popular?

Marlon reached its peak popularity in 1972, ranking #217 that year with 1,028 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Marlon most popular?

Marlon has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Mississippi, Louisiana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Marlon.

Is Marlon a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Marlon is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Marlon?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Marlon include Gustave, Carlton, Holden. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Marlon

Marlon is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 31K births in the dataset. Marlon's peak popularity came in 1972 when it ranked #217. Use the chart and map above to compare Marlon's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.