Marlene

Marlene - A very unique female name

Marlene appeared on the charts for the first time in 1915 on position #1328. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Marlene and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Marlene? 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 Marlene. The baby girl name Marlene was given to 132 baby girls in 2025, ranking #1231 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 9,875 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Marlene peaked in popularity 91 years ago in 1935 on position 39.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Marlene, 1-5?

Marlene is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Marlene is currently topping the baby name charts in Arizona at position #666 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,771.

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 Marlene is where you live.

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Marlene origin and meaning

German

A contraction of Maria Magdalene — Maria (from Hebrew Miryam) joined with Magdalene, 'of Magdala'

Marlene was coined in German by blending Maria and Magdalene, the two names of its most famous bearer, born Maria Magdalene Dietrich, who fused them into her stage name. It peaked in the US in 1936, in Dietrich's heyday, and has lately risen from a low base as 1930s names attract vintage interest. In German it is a three-syllable name; English usually compresses it to two.

Attested etymology

Marlene is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Marlene

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

Marilyn / Maryellen / Marilynn / Marlena / Marlen / Marlyn / Marleen / Marylin / Marylyn / Mariaelena /

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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 Marlene

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 Marlene 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 Marlene?

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-LEEN · /mɑrˈliːn/
English usually says mar-LEEN (two syllables, matching the table), German says mar-LAY-nuh with three

Around the world

• Marlène (French) — The French form of the same name

Spellings and nicknames

• Marleen — A Dutch-influenced spelling in US use
• Marlena — An elaborated spelling — a separate established name

Nicknames: MarlaLena

Famous bearers

• Marlene Dietrich — German-American film star and singer (The Blue Angel), born Maria Magdalene Dietrich, who contracted her two names into Marlene (1901–1992) Historical

Style

InternationalClassicVintage revival

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Marlene for Dietrich-era glamour and a vintage profile that is quietly rising again.

Worth knowing

• Pronunciation splits between mar-LEEN and mar-LAY-nuh, and the spelling competes with Marleen and Marlena