Marlee

Marlee - A very unique female name

Marlee appeared on the charts for the first time in 1948 on position #1841. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Marlee and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Marlee? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Marlee. The baby girl name Marlee was given to 542 baby girls in 2025, ranking #521 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 2,405 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Marlee peaked in popularity 18 years ago in 2008 on position 365.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Marlee, 1-5?

Marlee is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Marlee is currently topping the baby name charts in Idaho at position #151 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,386.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Marlee is where you live.

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Marlee origin and meaning

Modern (American) — surname or blend

Uncertain — usually read as a spelling of Marley (an English place and surname name, 'pleasant wood clearing') or as a blend of Mar- and Lee

Marlee is a modern respelling in the Marley family, given a boost in the 1980s by actress Marlee Matlin's fame. It peaked in 2008 and has been falling since.

Origin uncertain

Marlee is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Marlee, pop culture references for the name Marlee and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Marlee

We've found the following names that sound similar to Marlee, sorted by popularity.

Muriel / Marla / Marley / Merle / Marylou / Mariela / Mariel / Marlo / Marilee / Marlowe /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Marlee

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Marlee a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Marlee?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

MAR-lee · /ˈmɑːrli/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Marley — The surname spelling of the same name
• Marlie — Another spelling variant

Famous bearers

• Marlee Matlin — American actress, the first deaf performer to win an Academy Award (b. 1965) Contemporary

Style

Modern coinage

Why parents choose it

Friendly and upbeat, it softens the surname Marley into something clearly feminine.

Worth knowing

• Marley associations — the dog film and Bob Marley — attach to all spellings.