Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2020

Marlei

Meaning Spelling variant of Marley Gender Girl · 1% boys Rank 2025 #4,237 Trend ↓ Falling 40%

Spelling variant of Marley.

Rank 2025
#4,237
among girls · ↑863 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
34
named Marlei · +31% vs 2024
How common
1 in 47,273
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2020
75 babies
All-time total
795
#8,865 all-time among girls
First recorded
2002
in Social Security records

Marlei popularity over time

795 babies have been named Marlei since 2002, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – – – – – –
1980s – – – – – –
1990s – – – – – –
2000s 69 – 69 7 – #5,181
2010s 416 6 422 42 +512% #2,776
2020s (to 2025) 299 5 304 51 +20% #2,489

Where Marlei is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 31 0.02 outside top 500
2027 29 0.02 outside top 500
2028 28 0.02 outside top 500
2029 26 0.02 outside top 500
2030 25 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Marlei

Marlei is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,237 in 2025 with 34 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 2002, 795 American babies have been named Marlei. Its peak came in 2020, when 75 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Marlei stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Marlei?

The median living Marlei is about 7 years old; half are between 4 and 11. An estimated 800 people named Marlei are alive in the United States today.

median 7 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Marlei year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 34 #4,237 – –
2024 26 #5,100 – –
2023 47 #3,410 – –
2022 60 #2,846 – –
2021 62 #2,774 – –
2020 70 #2,489 5 #13,353
2019 61 #2,776 6 #11,643
2018 53 #3,088 – –
2017 55 #3,001 – –
2016 54 #3,085 – –
2015 56 #3,049 – –
2014 39 #3,892 – –
2013 26 #5,251 – –
2012 25 #5,506 – –
2011 21 #6,267 – –
2010 26 #5,356 – –
2009 28 #5,181 – –
2008 18 #7,282 – –
2007 11 #10,574 – –
2006 5 #19,027 – –
2005 – – – –
2004 – – – –
2003 – – – –
2002 7 #13,117 – –
2001 – – – –
2000 – – – –
1995 – – – –
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Marlei, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Marlei?

The median living Marlei is about 7 years old. Half of all living Marleis are between 4 and 11 years old.

How many people named Marlei are alive today?

An estimated 800 people named Marlei are alive in the United States, based on 795 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Marlei mean?

Spelling variant of Marley.

How popular is the name Marlei in 2025?

Marlei ranked #4,237 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 34 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Marlei?

795 babies have been named Marlei in the United States since 2002, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Marlei most popular?

Marlei peaked in 2020, when 75 newborns received the name.

Is Marlei a boy or girl name?

Marlei is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Marlei rising or falling?

Marlei has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Marlei become more popular?

Marlei is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 25 girls named Marlei in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Marlei

Names that sound and feel close to Marlei: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Marlei with similar names → More names starting with M →