NameRealm
Marlyn

Marlyn: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“from Mary and Lynn”
Origin
English
Say it
MAR-lin · 2 syllables
Used for
Both (75% girls, 25% boys since 1880)

Usually treated as a variant of Marlene or a blend using the common element Lynn; usage and exact origin vary. It can also function as a spelling variant of Marlin in some records. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.

English namesModern names

How popular is Marlyn?

20245.7 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Marlyn in 202419

Peak year1935

Total US babies since 18809,090

Marlyn is fading: recent use is about 40% of its level ten years before.

Names like Marlyn

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Marlenemodern blend of Maria and Magdalene · Germanic
  • Marlaof Magdala · English
  • Marlenaof Magdala; or beloved, drop of the sea · Germanic
  • Averyruler of elves · English
  • Riverriver · English
  • Sawyerwoodcutter · English
  • TatumTata's homestead · English
  • EmersonEmery's son · English

Marlyn questions

What does the name Marlyn mean?

Marlyn means "from Mary and Lynn". It comes from English. Usually treated as a variant of Marlene or a blend using the common element Lynn; usage and exact origin vary. It can also function as a spelling variant of Marlin in some records.

Is Marlyn a boy or girl name?

Marlyn is used for both: about 75% of US babies named Marlyn since 1880 were girls.

How popular is Marlyn?

19 US babies were named Marlyn in 2024. Its peak year was 1935.

How do you pronounce Marlyn?

Marlyn is usually pronounced MAR-lin.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.