Marilyn
Girl · MARR-i-lin · Modern
Marilyn is a girls' name of Modern origin, meaning “Mary + lake”. In 2025 it ranked 1,779th for girls in the UK (17 babies) and 760th for girls in the US (356 babies).
What does Marilyn mean?
Modern: 20th-century blend of Mary and Lynn
“Mary + lake”
A 20th-century blend of Mary and Lynn, famously borne by the actress Marilyn Monroe.
- Say it
- MARR-i-lin
More on Wiktionary.
Is Marilyn a girl's or a boy's name?
Marilyn is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 17 girls in the UK and 356 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Marilyn in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,779among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 17about 1 in 16,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 52% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 17 girls in the UK were named Marilyn, making it the 1,779th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,407th. Its busiest year was 2015, with 23 girls.
Half of all the girls named Marilyn in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2021. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 1,719th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1944 (#54) and 1954 (#46).
Marilyn in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | #1,779 |
| 2024 | 20 | #1,592 |
| 2023 | 13 | #2,185 |
| 2022 | 9 | #2,805 |
| 2021 | 17 | #1,794 |
| 2020 | 11 | #2,407 |
| 2019 | 13 | #2,157 |
| 2018 | 9 | #2,825 |
| 2017 | 11 | #2,485 |
| 2016 | 12 | #2,363 |
| 2015 | 23 | #1,474 |
| 2014 | 19 | #1,656 |
| 2013 | 17 | #1,798 |
| 2012 | 11 | #2,463 |
| 2011 | 13 | #2,152 |
| 2010 | 8 | #2,992 |
| 2009 | 7 | #3,201 |
| 2008 | 6 | #3,589 |
| 2007 | 4 | #4,494 |
| 2006 | 7 | #2,940 |
| 2005 | 1 | #6,340 |
| 2004 | 5 | #3,356 |
| 2003 | 12 | #1,730 |
| 2002 | 4 | #3,556 |
| 2001 | 7 | #2,341 |
| 2000 | 4 | #3,399 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 5 | #2,855 |
| 1997 | 1 | #5,110 |
| 1996 | 7 | #2,201 |
How popular is Marilyn in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #760among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 356about 1 in 4,500 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 18% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 356 girls in the US were named Marilyn, making it the 760th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 634th. Its busiest year was 1947, with 11,881 girls. It first appears in the records in 1899.
2025 had fewer girls named Marilyn than any year since 1918.
Half of all the girls named Marilyn in the US since 1880 were born between 1935 and 1954, the years shaded on the chart below.
Marilyn in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 356 | #760 |
| 2024 | 436 | #665 |
| 2023 | 378 | #743 |
| 2022 | 423 | #697 |
| 2021 | 409 | #704 |
| 2020 | 457 | #634 |
| 2019 | 467 | #634 |
| 2018 | 498 | #606 |
| 2017 | 585 | #529 |
| 2016 | 634 | #490 |
| 2015 | 748 | #426 |
| 2014 | 798 | #404 |
| 2013 | 837 | #373 |
| 2012 | 744 | #421 |
| 2011 | 535 | #544 |
| 2010 | 536 | #547 |
| 2009 | 524 | #580 |
| 2008 | 545 | #565 |
| 2007 | 599 | #522 |
| 2006 | 598 | #508 |
| 2005 | 513 | #558 |
| 2004 | 499 | #573 |
| 2003 | 514 | #544 |
| 2002 | 507 | #543 |
| 2001 | 553 | #496 |
| 2000 | 524 | #508 |
| 1999 | 481 | #527 |
| 1998 | 518 | #490 |
| 1997 | 567 | #447 |
| 1996 | 611 | #416 |
| 1995 | 576 | #445 |
| 1994 | 552 | #459 |
| 1993 | 599 | #415 |
| 1992 | 680 | #378 |
| 1991 | 584 | #434 |
| 1990 | 582 | #432 |
| 1989 | 628 | #393 |
| 1988 | 547 | #424 |
| 1987 | 532 | #418 |
| 1986 | 488 | #441 |
| 1985 | 522 | #421 |
| 1984 | 509 | #418 |
| 1983 | 612 | #368 |
| 1982 | 582 | #399 |
| 1981 | 579 | #390 |
| 1980 | 579 | #393 |
| 1979 | 559 | #389 |
| 1978 | 634 | #341 |
| 1977 | 608 | #360 |
| 1976 | 648 | #341 |
| 1975 | 651 | #339 |
| 1974 | 725 | #315 |
| 1973 | 777 | #300 |
| 1972 | 856 | #294 |
| 1971 | 1,216 | #239 |
| 1970 | 1,256 | #248 |
| 1969 | 1,398 | #218 |
| 1968 | 1,577 | #198 |
| 1967 | 1,960 | #167 |
| 1966 | 1,994 | #170 |
| 1965 | 2,490 | #151 |
| 1964 | 2,793 | #146 |
| 1963 | 3,314 | #125 |
| 1962 | 3,608 | #127 |
| 1961 | 3,797 | #122 |
| 1960 | 4,071 | #117 |
| 1959 | 4,343 | #109 |
| 1958 | 4,948 | #96 |
| 1957 | 5,743 | #82 |
| 1956 | 6,926 | #70 |
| 1955 | 8,409 | #49 |
| 1954 | 10,814 | #35 |
| 1953 | 10,742 | #36 |
| 1952 | 9,803 | #38 |
| 1951 | 9,148 | #41 |
| 1950 | 9,285 | #37 |
| 1949 | 9,865 | #33 |
| 1948 | 9,937 | #33 |
| 1947 | 11,881 | #29 |
| 1946 | 10,711 | #29 |
| 1945 | 9,534 | #27 |
| 1944 | 9,738 | #27 |
| 1943 | 10,145 | #27 |
| 1942 | 9,906 | #27 |
| 1941 | 8,556 | #30 |
| 1940 | 8,704 | #25 |
| 1939 | 9,538 | #19 |
| 1938 | 9,745 | #19 |
| 1937 | 9,739 | #13 |
| 1936 | 11,064 | #13 |
| 1935 | 10,418 | #14 |
| 1934 | 9,382 | #17 |
| 1933 | 9,126 | #16 |
| 1932 | 10,567 | #16 |
| 1931 | 9,664 | #19 |
| 1930 | 9,288 | #22 |
| 1929 | 6,731 | #33 |
| 1928 | 6,066 | #38 |
| 1927 | 5,554 | #46 |
| 1926 | 4,370 | #65 |
| 1925 | 3,419 | #83 |
| 1924 | 2,860 | #101 |
| 1923 | 2,286 | #118 |
| 1922 | 1,698 | #145 |
| 1921 | 696 | #253 |
| 1920 | 522 | #288 |
| 1919 | 404 | #313 |
| 1918 | 245 | #421 |
| 1917 | 164 | #520 |
| 1916 | 146 | #552 |
| 1915 | 109 | #629 |
| 1914 | 75 | #671 |
| 1913 | 58 | #678 |
| 1912 | 56 | #668 |
| 1911 | 31 | #777 |
| 1910 | 18 | #1,030 |
| 1909 | 21 | #890 |
| 1908 | 25 | #768 |
| 1907 | 17 | #923 |
| 1906 | 24 | #742 |
| 1905 | 10 | #1,237 |
| 1904 | 6 | #1,658 |
| 1903 | 11 | #1,076 |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 6 | #1,466 |
| 1900 | 12 | #1,105 |
| 1899 | 5 | #1,595 |
Nicknames for Marilyn
Names like Marilyn
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Evelyn Ivy-Rose Robyn Everlyn Bonnie Elsie-Mae Margot Iris Myla Isla-Rose Melody Diana
Names related to Marilyn
Marlena Marlene Marilena Marlin Marlen Marilynn Marleny Marlyn Marelyn
More Modern names
Jayden Ailany Kayden Nevaeh Jax Indie Miley Raelynn Kaiden Kehlani Alayna Caden Zayden Wrenley Mya Oaklynn