girls' name · peaked 1951

Marleen

A female given name from Hebrew, a less common spelling of Marlene.

Every Marleen since 1926 — 4,121 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex — comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1939Girls
Rank 2025
#11,554
among girls
Babies in 2025
8
named Marleen
Peak year
1951
133 babies
All-time total
4,121
since 1926

The story of Marleen

Marleen is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #11,554 in 2025 with 8 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1926, 4,121 American babies have been named Marleen. Its peak came in 1951, when 133 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Marleen stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

Marleen year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 8 #11,554
2024 9 #10,800
2023 11 #9,390
2022 14 #7,905
2021 16 #7,151
2020 8 #11,758
2019 14 #8,007
2018 7 #13,333
2017 17 #6,994
2016 18 #6,819
2015 17 #7,166
2014 25 #5,405
2013 22 #5,948
2012 28 #5,065
2011 23 #5,872
2010 28 #5,056
2009 26 #5,488
2008 33 #4,609
2007 80 #2,381
2006 42 #3,713
2005 29 #4,663
2004 33 #4,244
2003 27 #4,768
2002 32 #4,043
2001 30 #4,163
2000 31 #4,043
1995 24 #4,303
1990 28 #3,776
1985 20 #4,079
1980 21 #3,794
1975 25 #2,927
1970 57 #1,646
1965 47 #1,648
1960 54 #1,514
1955 99 #1,006
1950 126 #771
1945 78 #852
1940 72 #845
1935 47 #1,012
1930 8 #3,544
1925
1920
1915
1910
1905
1900
1895
1890
1885
1880

Famous people named Marleen

  1. Marleen Veldhuis Swimmer · b. 1979

Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Marleen mean?

A female given name from Hebrew, a less common spelling of Marlene.

How popular is the name Marleen in 2025?

Marleen ranked #11,554 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 8 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Marleen?

4,121 babies have been named Marleen in the United States since 1926, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Marleen most popular?

Marleen peaked in 1951, when 133 newborns received the name.

Is Marleen a boy or girl name?

Marleen is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Marleen rising or falling?

Marleen is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Marleen?

Well-known people named Marleen include Marleen Veldhuis (swimmer).

Names like Marleen

Compare Marleen with similar names →