Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1978

Marlena

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #2,983 Trend ↓ Falling 28%
Rank 2025
#2,983
among girls · ↑573 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
56
named Marlena · +27% vs 2024
How common
1 in 28,701
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1978
470 babies
All-time total
11,321
#1,541 all-time among girls
First recorded
1925
in Social Security records

Marlena popularity over time

11,321 babies have been named Marlena since 1925, 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
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1978Girls

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 Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s 5 1 – #5,501
1930s 134 13 +2580% #1,362
1940s 385 39 +187% #1,131
1950s 732 73 +90% #949
1960s 995 100 +36% #890
1970s 2,164 216 +117% #430
1980s 2,425 243 +12% #611
1990s 2,166 217 -11% #807
2000s 1,174 117 -46% #1,260
2010s 792 79 -33% #1,973
2020s (to 2025) 349 58 -27% #2,434

Where Marlena 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 53 0.03 outside top 500
2027 51 0.03 outside top 500
2028 49 0.03 outside top 500
2029 48 0.03 outside top 500
2030 47 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Marlena

Marlena is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,983 in 2025 with 56 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1925, 11,321 American babies have been named Marlena. Its peak came in 1978, when 470 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

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

How old are people named Marlena?

The median living Marlena is about 40 years old; half are between 27 and 48. An estimated 11 thousand people named Marlena are alive in the United States today.

median 40 020406080100

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

Marlena year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 56 #2,983
2024 44 #3,556
2023 54 #3,070
2022 67 #2,625
2021 56 #2,984
2020 72 #2,434
2019 73 #2,445
2018 78 #2,355
2017 62 #2,765
2016 82 #2,318
2015 73 #2,494
2014 92 #2,110
2013 100 #1,973
2012 83 #2,279
2011 77 #2,407
2010 72 #2,555
2009 100 #2,057
2008 108 #1,961
2007 97 #2,096
2006 113 #1,822
2005 122 #1,643
2004 95 #1,970
2003 104 #1,811
2002 140 #1,383
2001 139 #1,375
2000 156 #1,260
1995 188 #1,001
1990 194 #967
1985 231 #752
1980 301 #611
1975 135 #941
1970 126 #992
1965 98 #1,060
1960 71 #1,308
1955 83 #1,101
1950 67 #1,128
1945 36 #1,347
1940 12 #2,518
1935 12 #2,523
1930 – –
1925 5 #5,501
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Marlena?

The median living Marlena is about 40 years old. Half of all living Marlenas are between 27 and 48 years old.

How many people named Marlena are alive today?

An estimated 11 thousand people named Marlena are alive in the United States, based on 11,321 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Marlena in 2025?

Marlena ranked #2,983 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 56 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Marlena?

11,321 babies have been named Marlena in the United States since 1925, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Marlena most popular?

Marlena peaked in 1978, when 470 newborns received the name.

Is Marlena a boy or girl name?

Marlena is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Marlena rising or falling?

Marlena is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Marlena become more popular?

Marlena is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 47 girls named Marlena in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Marlena

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

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