Marilyn was a hugely popular girls' name that peaked at #13 in 1936 but is far less common today.
Marilyn is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #761 for girl births in the United States (and #1,492 across all names), given to 356 babies. Marilyn was first reported in SSA data in 1899 and peaked in 1947 (11,881 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 356 | 356 | #761 | — |
| 2024 | 436 | 436 | #665 | — |
| 2023 | 378 | 378 | #744 | — |
| 2022 | 423 | 423 | #698 | — |
| 2021 | 409 | 409 | #706 | — |
| 2020 | 457 | 457 | #634 | — |
| 2019 | 467 | 467 | #634 | — |
| 2018 | 498 | 498 | #607 | — |
| 2017 | 585 | 585 | #531 | — |
| 2016 | 634 | 634 | #491 | — |
| 2015 | 748 | 748 | #426 | — |
| 2014 | 798 | 798 | #404 | — |
| 2013 | 837 | 837 | #373 | — |
| 2012 | 744 | 744 | #422 | — |
| 2011 | 535 | 535 | #545 | — |
| 2010 | 536 | 536 | #548 | — |
| 2009 | 524 | 524 | #581 | — |
| 2008 | 545 | 545 | #565 | — |
| 2007 | 599 | 599 | #522 | — |
| 2006 | 598 | 598 | #509 | — |
| 2005 | 513 | 513 | #560 | — |
| 2004 | 499 | 499 | #573 | — |
| 2003 | 514 | 514 | #545 | — |
| 2002 | 507 | 513 | #543 | — |
| 2001 | 553 | 553 | #496 | — |
| 2000 | 524 | 533 | #509 | — |
| 1999 | 481 | 487 | #527 | — |
| 1998 | 518 | 525 | #490 | — |
| 1997 | 573 | — | #447 | #8,866 |
| 1996 | 611 | — | #416 | — |
| 1995 | 581 | — | #446 | #9,769 |
| 1994 | 552 | — | #460 | — |
| 1993 | 604 | — | #415 | #9,629 |
| 1992 | 680 | — | #379 | — |
| 1991 | 584 | — | #435 | — |
| 1990 | 582 | — | #433 | — |
| 1989 | 636 | — | #394 | #6,005 |
| 1988 | 552 | — | #425 | #8,072 |
| 1987 | 532 | — | #418 | — |
| 1986 | 493 | — | #442 | #7,422 |
| 1985 | 528 | — | #422 | #6,239 |
| 1984 | 517 | — | #418 | #4,822 |
| 1983 | 612 | — | #368 | — |
| 1982 | 582 | — | #400 | — |
| 1981 | 579 | — | #390 | — |
| 1980 | 579 | — | #394 | — |
| 1979 | 568 | — | #389 | #4,272 |
| 1978 | 640 | — | #341 | #5,522 |
| 1977 | 608 | — | #361 | — |
| 1976 | 648 | — | #341 | — |
| 1975 | 657 | — | #339 | #5,207 |
| 1974 | 731 | — | #315 | #5,016 |
| 1973 | 789 | — | #300 | #2,960 |
| 1972 | 866 | — | #294 | #3,271 |
| 1971 | 1,223 | — | #240 | #4,219 |
| 1970 | 1,262 | — | #248 | #4,551 |
| 1969 | 1,407 | — | #218 | #3,233 |
| 1968 | 1,584 | — | #198 | #3,560 |
| 1967 | 1,971 | — | #167 | #2,557 |
| 1966 | 2,000 | — | #170 | #3,779 |
| 1965 | 2,503 | — | #151 | #2,331 |
| 1964 | 2,800 | — | #146 | #3,491 |
| 1963 | 3,326 | — | #125 | #2,491 |
| 1962 | 3,621 | — | #127 | #2,328 |
| 1961 | 3,813 | — | #122 | #2,112 |
| 1960 | 4,080 | — | #118 | #2,999 |
| 1959 | 4,357 | — | #109 | #2,259 |
| 1958 | 4,963 | — | #96 | #2,139 |
| 1957 | 5,752 | — | #82 | #2,950 |
| 1956 | 6,951 | — | #70 | #1,594 |
| 1955 | 8,428 | — | #49 | #1,827 |
| 1954 | 10,830 | — | #35 | #2,018 |
| 1953 | 10,764 | — | #36 | #1,660 |
| 1952 | 9,815 | — | #38 | #2,336 |
| 1951 | 9,168 | — | #41 | #1,712 |
| 1950 | 9,300 | — | #37 | #1,992 |
| 1949 | 9,879 | — | #33 | #2,082 |
| 1948 | 9,953 | — | #33 | #1,916 |
| 1947 | 11,905 | — | #29 | #1,542 |
| 1946 | 10,732 | — | #29 | #1,586 |
| 1945 | 9,551 | — | #27 | #1,672 |
| 1944 | 9,760 | — | #27 | #1,465 |
| 1943 | 10,175 | — | #27 | #1,273 |
| 1942 | 9,938 | — | #27 | #1,239 |
| 1941 | 8,588 | — | #30 | #1,180 |
| 1940 | 8,745 | — | #25 | #1,017 |
| 1939 | 9,570 | — | #19 | #1,158 |
| 1938 | 9,781 | — | #19 | #1,084 |
| 1937 | 9,784 | — | #13 | #939 |
| 1936 | 11,102 | — | #13 | #1,042 |
| 1935 | 10,451 | — | #14 | #1,157 |
| 1934 | 9,420 | — | #17 | #1,070 |
| 1933 | 9,150 | — | #16 | #1,392 |
| 1932 | 10,605 | — | #16 | #1,107 |
| 1931 | 9,695 | — | #19 | #1,249 |
| 1930 | 9,317 | — | #22 | #1,359 |
| 1929 | 6,763 | — | #33 | #1,258 |
| 1928 | 6,086 | — | #38 | #1,740 |
| 1927 | 5,575 | — | #46 | #1,728 |
| 1926 | 4,380 | — | #65 | #2,833 |
| 1925 | 3,419 | — | #83 | — |
| 1924 | 2,865 | — | #101 | #4,736 |
| 1923 | 2,286 | — | #118 | — |
| 1922 | 1,703 | — | #145 | #4,714 |
| 1921 | 696 | — | #253 | — |
| 1920 | 522 | — | #288 | — |
| 1919 | 404 | — | #314 | — |
| 1918 | 245 | — | #422 | — |
| 1917 | 164 | — | #523 | — |
| 1916 | 146 | — | #555 | — |
| 1915 | 109 | — | #631 | — |
| 1914 | 75 | — | #675 | — |
| 1913 | 58 | — | #686 | — |
| 1912 | 56 | — | #671 | — |
| 1911 | 31 | — | #784 | — |
| 1910 | 18 | — | #1,051 | — |
| 1909 | 21 | — | #899 | — |
| 1908 | 25 | — | #782 | — |
| 1907 | 17 | — | #939 | — |
| 1906 | 24 | — | #759 | — |
| 1905 | 10 | — | #1,276 | — |
| 1904 | 6 | — | #1,788 | — |
| 1903 | 11 | — | #1,114 | — |
| 1901 | 6 | — | #1,595 | — |
| 1900 | 12 | — | #1,148 | — |
| 1899 | 5 | — | #1,759 | — |