Marilyn
An English elaboration of Mary, extended with the ending -lyn, which was drawn from Lynn.
Marilyn in 2025
Marilyn was given to 356 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,492nd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 9,313 babies born.
The history of Marilyn
Marilyn reached its highest point in 1947, when 11,905 babies were given the name, ranking 56th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 28th, in 1936.
Across the 127 years of records since 1899, 374,857 babies have been named Marilyn. Half of them were born before 1945, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Marilyn by decade
| Decade | Babies named Marilyn | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 | 2,656 |
| 1900s | 132 | 1,197 |
| 1910s | 1,306 | 580 |
| 1920s | 34,295 | 63 |
| 1930s | 98,875 | 28 |
| 1940s | 99,226 | 48 |
| 1950s | 80,328 | 71 |
| 1960s | 27,105 | 226 |
| 1970s | 7,992 | 443 |
| 1980s | 5,610 | 688 |
| 1990s | 5,766 | 732 |
| 2000s | 5,376 | 922 |
| 2010s | 6,382 | 745 |
| 2020s | 2,459 | 1,228 |
Where Marilyn is heading
Marilyn has fallen 52% over the past decade, from 748 babies in 2015 to 356 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1947 peak — Marilyn is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Marilyn
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Marilyn.