Marilyn

#760 for girls in 2025, 356 births · Last seen for boys in 1997 at #8,110
Given to girls 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1936 · 11,064 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
34 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
373,791
since 1899

Marilyn over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201978peak #13, 1936girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#760356—
2024#665436—
2023#743378—
2022#697423—
2021#704409—
2020#634457—
2019#634467—
2018#606498—
2017#529585—
2016#490634—
2015#426748—
2014#404798—
2013#373837—
2012#421744—
2011#544535—
2010#547536—
2009#580524—
2008#565545—
2007#522599—
2006#508598—
2005#558513—
2004#573499—
2003#544514—
2002#543507—
2001#496553—
2000#508524—
1999#527481—
1998#490518—
1997#447567#8,1106
1996#416611—
1995#445576#8,8685
1994#459552—
1993#415599#8,7005
1992#378680—
1991#434584—
1990#432582—
1989#393628#5,6158
1988#424547#7,2705
1987#418532—
1986#441488#6,7215
1985#421522#5,7856
1984#418509#4,5528
1983#368612—
1982#399582—
1981#390579—
1980#393579—
1979#389559#4,0689
1978#341634#5,0596
1977#360608—
1976#341648—
1975#339651#4,7976
1974#315725#4,6346
1973#300777#2,85712
1972#294856#3,15210
1971#2391,216#3,9637
1970#2481,256#4,2306
1969#2181,398#3,0629
1968#1981,577#3,3657
1967#1671,960#2,47011
1966#1701,994#3,5376
1965#1512,490#2,27013
1964#1462,793#3,2827
1963#1253,314#2,41412
1962#1273,608#2,27913
1961#1223,797#2,07016
1960#1174,071#2,8719
1959#1094,343#2,20014
1958#964,948#2,09315
1957#825,743#2,8229
1956#706,926#1,56825
1955#498,409#1,79119
1954#3510,814#1,95616
1953#3610,742#1,63022
1952#389,803#2,25112
1951#419,148#1,68320
1950#379,285#1,94115
1949#339,865#2,02214
1948#339,937#1,88116
1947#2911,881#1,51924
1946#2910,711#1,55721
1945#279,534#1,63317
1944#279,738#1,43822
1943#2710,145#1,25830
1942#279,906#1,22832
1941#308,556#1,16932
1940#258,704#1,00741
1939#199,538#1,14132
1938#199,745#1,07636
1937#139,739#93245
1936#1311,064#1,02838
1935#1410,418#1,14833
1934#179,382#1,05938
1933#169,126#1,36124
1932#1610,567#1,09038
1931#199,664#1,23931
1930#229,288#1,33029
1929#336,731#1,23732
1928#386,066#1,70720
1927#465,554#1,69221
1926#654,370#2,72510
1925#833,419—
1924#1012,860#4,3475
1923#1182,286—
1922#1451,698#4,3075
1921#253696—
1920#288522—
1919#313404—
1918#421245—
1917#520164—
1916#552146—
1915#629109—
1914#67175—
1913#67858—
1912#66856—
1911#77731—
1910#1,03018—
1909#89021—
1908#76825—
1907#92317—
1906#74224—
1905#1,23810—
1904#1,6596—
1903#1,07611—
1902——
1901#1,4666—
1900#1,10612—
1899#1,5965—
1898——
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1896——
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1894——
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1892——
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First appearance
1899

The first year at least five girls were named Marilyn! It came in at #1,596, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1902, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.

Where Marilyn is popular in 1978

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #105 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 356 girlsAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #506 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,308 girlsMNIllinois: #325 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 2,085 girlsILWisconsin: #481 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,827 girlsWIMichigan: #395 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 3,029 girlsMINew York: #173 for girls · 111 births · 1 in 886 girlsNYMassachusetts: #213 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,348 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedIAIndiana: #538 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,971 girlsINOhio: #433 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 3,629 girlsOHPennsylvania: #391 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 3,000 girlsPANew Jersey: #199 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 1,067 girlsNJConnecticut: #181 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 946 girlsCTCalifornia: #436 for girls · 58 births · 1 in 2,644 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedUTColorado: #492 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,459 girlsCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedNEMissouri: #372 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,787 girlsMOKentucky: #351 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,654 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedVAMaryland: #490 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,651 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedDEArizona: #345 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,820 girlsAZNew Mexico: #346 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,637 girlsNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedKSArkansas: #398 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,516 girlsARTennessee: #344 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 2,322 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #355 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,490 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #280 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,421 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #325 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,889 girlsOKLouisiana: #348 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,966 girlsLAMississippi: #165 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 730 girlsMSAlabama: #257 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,359 girlsALGeorgia: #314 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 1,792 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Marilyn, so not publishedHITexas: #477 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 3,041 girlsTXFlorida: #184 for girls · 45 births · 1 in 978 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Alaska#105 · 1 in 356
  2. Mississippi#165 · 1 in 730
  3. New York#173 · 1 in 886
  4. Connecticut#181 · 1 in 946
  5. Florida#184 · 1 in 978

Best ever in a state: #3 in Utah, 1932.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Alaska#10571 in 356
Mississippi#165211 in 730
New York#1731111 in 886
Connecticut#181151 in 946
Florida#184451 in 978
New Jersey#199341 in 1,067
Massachusetts#213221 in 1,348
Alabama#257161 in 1,359
South Carolina#280121 in 1,421
Georgia#314181 in 1,792
Illinois#325341 in 2,085
Oklahoma#32591 in 1,889
Tennessee#344121 in 2,322
Arizona#34591 in 1,820
New Mexico#34651 in 1,637
Louisiana#348141 in 1,966
Kentucky#35191 in 2,654
North Carolina#355131 in 2,490
Missouri#372111 in 2,787
Pennsylvania#391221 in 3,000
Michigan#395191 in 3,029
Arkansas#39851 in 2,516
Ohio#433191 in 3,629
California#436581 in 2,644
Texas#477341 in 3,041
Wisconsin#48161 in 4,827
Maryland#49051 in 3,651
Colorado#49251 in 3,459
Minnesota#50651 in 5,308
Indiana#53871 in 4,971
Delaware———
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Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Maine———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Marilyn
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 95 spots since 2024 (#665 → #760)
  • 126 spots since 2020 (#634 → #760)
  • 334 spots since 2015 (#426 → #760)
  • Biggest jump: 496 spots in 1906 (#1,238 → #742)
  • Biggest drop: 181 spots in 1907 (#742 → #923)
Rise & fade · girls
37 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1899
  • Peaked 1936 at #13 (11,064 births)
  • Births halved by 1958, 22 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 34 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 34 yrs · run 1925–1958
  • Top 1,000: 119 yrs · run 1911–2025
Share of babies · girls
1 in 94
  • Highest: 1 in 94 girls born in 1936 were named Marilyn (1.1%)
  • Latest: 1 in 4,515 girls born in 2025 (0.02%)
Era · girls
The 1940s
  • 26.5% of all girls named Marilyn (98,977) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1890s5#1,596 (1899)#1,596
1900s132#742 (1906)#1,096
1910s1,306#313 (1919)#626
1920s34,202#33 (1929)#117
1930s98,531#13 (1936)#17
1940s98,977#25 (1940)#29
1950s80,161#35 (1954)#59
1960s27,002#117 (1960)#154
1970s7,930#239 (1971)#317
1980s5,578#368 (1983)#407
1990s5,750#378 (1992)#444
2000s5,376#496 (2001)#540
2010s6,382#373 (2013)#497
2020s2,459#634 (2020)#701

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Marilyn in 1978

girls
#341
634 births · 1 in 2,416 girls
boys
#5,059
6 births · 1 in 273,640 boys

Top girls' names in 1978

  1. #1Jennifer56,314
  2. #2Melissa28,327
  3. #3Jessica26,102
  4. #4Amy23,213
  5. #5Heather22,270
  6. #6Amanda20,520
  7. #7Angela20,517
  8. #8Sarah19,976
  9. #9Michelle18,856
  10. #10Nicole17,279
  11. #341Marilyn634

Top boys' names in 1978

  1. #1Michael67,127
  2. #2Jason51,600
  3. #3Christopher47,236
  4. #4David40,684
  5. #5James39,894
  6. #6Matthew34,282
  7. #7John34,014
  8. #8Robert33,374
  9. #9Brian29,432
  10. #10Joseph26,663
  11. #5,059Marilyn6
More about 1978

girls

1,531,859 girls got a published name in 1978; 1 in 2,416 of them was named Marilyn, which outranked 97.0% of the 11,475 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.5% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Marilyn
  1. #338Jessie644
  2. #339Amelia643
  3. #340Cathy639
  4. #341Marilyn634
  5. #342Jolene632
  6. #342Mandi632
  7. #344Brittany630
Biggest movers since 1977
Risers
  1. ↑ 4,240Aja#4,652 → #412
  2. ↑ 1,987Kiley#2,606 → #619
  3. ↑ 1,951Kylee#2,838 → #887
  4. ↑ 1,785Winter#2,780 → #995
  5. ↑ 1,620Kylie#2,026 → #406
Fallers
  1. ↓ 913Shalon#868 → #1,781
  2. ↓ 760Farah#854 → #1,614
  3. ↓ 519Tennille#462 → #981
  4. ↓ 398Shawnte#740 → #1,138
  5. ↓ 362Farrah#177 → #539

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,641,837 boys got a published name in 1978; 1 in 273,640 of them was named Marilyn, which outranked 25.2% of the 6,762 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Marilyn
  1. #4,554Zeth7
  2. #4,554Ziad7
  3. #4,554Zubin7
  4. #5,059Marilyn6
  5. #5,059Aamir6
  6. #5,059Aaren6
  7. #5,059Abdel6
  8. #5,772Aalon5
  9. #5,772Aaraon5
  10. #5,772Abbas5

Tied with 712 names at #5,059; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1977
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,237Dequan#4,164 → #927
  2. ↑ 626Nicholaus#1,367 → #741
  3. ↑ 617Nicklaus#1,515 → #898
  4. ↑ 578Zebulon#1,476 → #898
  5. ↑ 424Anwar#1,121 → #697
Fallers
  1. ↓ 674Kinte#834 → #1,508
  2. ↓ 668Kunta#572 → #1,240
  3. ↓ 417Telly#732 → #1,149
  4. ↓ 415Lesley#937 → #1,352
  5. ↓ 310Amin#904 → #1,214

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1978 →