Marlei
A feminine name likely derived from Marie and Leigh.
Name Census estimates that about 756 living Americans carry the first name Marlei. It is a predominantly female name (98.6% of registrations). The average person named Marlei today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marlei births was 2020 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marlei. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
756
~ 1 in 453,379 Americans
Peak year
2020
75 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2020 SSA rank
#5,085
Tracked since 2002
Gender
Gender distribution for Marlei
Marlei leans heavily female at 98.6% of total registrations, but 11 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Marlei as a male name
- Ranked #13,347 in 2020
- 5 male births in 2020
- Peak: 2019 (6 births)
Marlei as a female name
- Ranked #5,085 in 2024
- 26 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (70 births)
Popularity
Marlei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marlei from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 422 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Marlei remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Marlei by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Marlei during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marleis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Louisiana, Georgia, Texas recorded the most babies named Marlei, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marlei
The name Marlei is believed to have originated from a combination of the German name Marlene and the French name Leila. Its roots can be traced back to the late 19th century, primarily in Central and Western Europe.
The first part of the name, "Marl," is derived from the ancient Germanic name "Marhild," which means "bitter battle." The second part, "ei," likely comes from the French "Leila," which has its origins in the Arabic name "Laylah," meaning "night."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marlei dates back to 1892, when a German author named Marlei Müller published a collection of children's stories. However, the name gained more prominence in the early 20th century, particularly in Germany and France.
Among the notable individuals who bore the name Marlei throughout history is Marlei Stöckl, a German artist and sculptor who lived from 1897 to 1973. Her works were widely exhibited across Europe and are still celebrated for their unique style and attention to detail.
Another well-known figure is Marlei Bauer, a French resistance fighter during World War II. Born in 1915, she played a crucial role in smuggling Jewish families out of Nazi-occupied territories, risking her life to save countless lives.
In the world of literature, Marlei Hartmann (1926-2003) was a renowned German novelist and poet. Her works often explored themes of identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of human relationships.
Moving to the field of sports, Marlei Müller (1938-2015) was a German track and field athlete who competed in the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in the long jump event.
Lastly, Marlei Eckert (1951-2019) was a Swiss politician and activist who dedicated her life to promoting environmental conservation and sustainable development. She served as a member of the Swiss National Council for several years and played a pivotal role in shaping environmental policies in her country.
While the name Marlei may not be as common today as it was in the past, it carries a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting the diverse influences that have shaped its evolution over time.
People
Marlei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marlei as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Marlei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marlei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 756 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marlei going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 453,379 US residents.
Is Marlei a common name?
We classify Marlei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 761 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marlei most popular?
The single biggest year for Marlei was 2020, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marlei is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marlei a female name?
Yes, 98.6% of people registered as Marlei in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.