unisex name
Marlen
- Origin Greek
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 6,454
Marlen is a unisex name with 2 syllables. It is given to both girls and boys — about 86% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 48 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Marlen is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 2003, when 272 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 69,070 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Marlen started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- First appears in US birth records in 1915.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Marlen over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 34 |
| 1920s | 113 |
| 1930s | 193 |
| 1940s | 143 |
| 1950s | 101 |
| 1960s | 182 |
| 1970s | 330 |
| 1980s | 537 |
| 1990s | 1,442 |
| 2000s | 2,253 |
| 2010s | 804 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 306 |
How popular is Marlen?
In 2025, Marlen was given to 48 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Marlen is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Marlen
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Marlen also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Marlen over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Marlen
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Marlen — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Marlen
How popular is the name Marlen?
In 2025, Marlen was given to 48 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Marlen a girl's or a boy's name?
Marlen is used for both girls and boys. About 86% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Marlen?
Marlen has 2 syllables.
When was Marlen most popular?
Marlen peaked in 2003, when 272 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Marlen a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Marlen currently ranks #3,622 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was Marlen originally a boys' or girls' name?
Marlen was given mostly to boys in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to girls.