Marion first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Marion has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Marion

A feminine name of French origin meaning "little rebel" or "bitter".

Popularity of Marion by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Marion is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 52% of people named Marion being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 124 female babies and 59 male babies born with the name Marion.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 59 124
2022 61 120
2021 40 127
2020 57 106
2019 70 139
2018 76 134
2017 77 142
2016 77 159
2015 77 150
2014 82 142
2013 97 140
2012 110 109
2011 102 111
2010 124 98
2009 119 110
2008 140 96
2007 146 113
2006 155 97
2005 167 103
2004 138 112
2003 158 119
2002 120 130
2001 106 120
2000 103 141
1999 109 102
1998 135 124
1997 131 129
1996 117 115
1995 90 108
1994 86 123
1993 101 116
1992 130 174
1991 145 158
1990 136 166
1989 149 152
1988 168 175
1987 137 151
1986 164 162
1985 154 168
1984 169 165
1983 136 176
1982 183 211
1981 187 211
1980 204 190
1979 232 185
1978 206 184
1977 227 229
1976 242 192
1975 245 234
1974 266 233

The history of the first name Marion

The name Marion has its roots in the ancient Roman name Marianus, which was derived from the name Marius. Marius was a Roman family name that likely originated from the Latin word "mas," meaning male or masculine. The name Marianus was a patronymic form, indicating "belonging to Marius."

In the early Christian era, the name Marion gained popularity as a variant of the name Maria, which was the Latin form of the name Mary, the mother of Jesus. Marion was sometimes used as a masculine name but more commonly as a feminine name. It was particularly popular in France and other parts of Western Europe during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Marion can be found in the 12th century, when a French noblewoman named Marion de Lorme (1613-1679) gained notoriety as a courtesan and mistress of several prominent figures, including Cardinal Richelieu.

Another notable figure bearing the name Marion was Marion Delorme (1613-1650), a French dramatist and poet who wrote several successful plays during the reign of Louis XIII.

In the United States, the name Marion gained prominence with the Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion (1732-1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox." He was a military officer who led a successful guerrilla campaign against the British forces in South Carolina.

Another famous American with the name Marion was Marion Mitchell Morrison, better known as John Wayne (1907-1979), the iconic Hollywood actor who starred in numerous Western films.

In the world of literature, Marion Zimmer Bradley (1930-1999) was an American author best known for her Arthurian fantasy novels, particularly "The Mists of Avalon."

While the name Marion has waned in popularity in recent decades, it has a rich history spanning centuries and cultures, with notable individuals bearing the name in various fields, including literature, politics, and the arts.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Marion was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Marion, please contact us.

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"Marion first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/marion-meaning-and-history/.

"Marion first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/marion-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Marion first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/marion-meaning-and-history/.

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