Marilyn

Did you know?

A few things about Marilyn you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Marilyn

Marilyn Monroe

American actress and model (1926–1962)

Choose Marilyn and your child shares a first name with Marilyn Monroe, an American actress and model. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Marilyn, like who?” Marilyn Monroe's Wikipedia article is available in 240 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Marilyn Monroe on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Sam Shaw, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 4,515 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Marilyn, 356 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Marilyn would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryMarilyn first shows up in US birth records in 1899, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 126 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1937, when it ranked #13. Today it's #760, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendMarilyn has slipped 126 places over the last five years and now sits at #760. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedMarilyn is most popular in Wisconsin, where it ranks #420, followed by Missouri (#516) and Alabama (#520). It's in the top 1,000 in 20 states.

About the name Marilyn

Marilyn is a girl name. It has 7 letters and 3 syllables, starting with M and ending in “-lyn”. US birth records list Marilyn for girls from 1899 to 2025, in 126 of those 127 years. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked #13 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #760, with 356 babies.