Marley

Marley - A very unique male name

Marley appeared on the charts for the first time in 1982 on position #2456. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Marley and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Marley? 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 Marley. The baby boy name Marley was given to 84 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1381 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 17,456 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Marley peaked in popularity 18 years ago in 2008 on position 792.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Marley, 1-5?

Marley is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Marley is currently topping the baby name charts in Maryland at position #610 - and is the least popular in Illinois at position #1,420.

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 Marley is where you live.

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Marley origin and meaning

English place name and surname

Uncertain — an English place name and surname built on Old English leah, a clearing; the first element may be mar, a boundary, or mere, a pond

Marley became a boys' first name in American data only in 1982, the year after the death of Bob Marley, whose surname is the name's great modern association, and Dickens's Jacob Marley gave the surname an earlier literary life. It peaked for boys in 2009 and has fallen since.

Origin uncertain

Marley is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Marley

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

Merle / Merrill / Marlo / Merl / Murl / Maurilio / Marlow / Marlowe / Murrell / Mearl /

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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 Marley

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 Marley 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 male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Marley?

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 · /ˈmɑrli/

Around the world

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

Spellings and nicknames

• Marlee — A respelling used mainly for girls.
• Marlo — A different name with a similar opening.

Famous bearers

• Bob Marley — Reggae musician whose global fame made his surname a given name; Marley was his surname, and boys named Marley first appear in the data the year after his death (1945–1981) Historical

Style

SurnamePlace nameLiterary

Why parents choose it

For a boy, Marley carries a laid-back musical echo and a soft surname style, though most new Marleys are now girls.

Worth knowing

• Now given far more often to girls, so it may be read as feminine first.