Marline
A feminine name derived from French and English variations of Mary.
Name Census estimates that about 925 living Americans carry the first name Marline. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Marline today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marline births was 1935 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marline. 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
925
~ 1 in 370,545 Americans
Peak year
1935
39 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
2017 SSA rank
#15,273
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Marline: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marline from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 292 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Marline 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 Marline during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marlines live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Florida, Ohio recorded the most babies named Marline, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 31 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marline
The name Marline appears to have its origins in the French language, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a combination of two French words: "mer," meaning "sea," and "line," which can be interpreted as a reference to a fishing line or a connection to the maritime world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marline can be found in a 15th-century French text, where it was used to refer to a type of rope or cord used in sailing vessels. This connection to nautical terminology suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals involved in seafaring or coastal communities.
In the 16th century, the name Marline gained popularity among French aristocratic families, particularly those with ties to the naval tradition. One notable figure from this period was Marline de Montmorency (1501-1557), a French noblewoman and courtier at the court of King Francis I.
As the name spread across Europe, it also found its way into the literary world. In the 17th century, the character of Marline appeared in several plays and poems, often depicting her as a strong-willed and adventurous woman with a connection to the sea.
In the 19th century, the name Marline gained further recognition with the birth of Marline Delamarre (1837-1912), a French painter and sculptor known for her works depicting maritime scenes and coastal landscapes.
Another notable figure was Marline Dietrich (1901-1992), the renowned German-American actress and singer who rose to international fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Her iconic performance in the 1930 film "The Blue Angel" cemented her status as a cultural icon.
In the world of literature, Marline Pierrot (1925-2019) was a celebrated French novelist and screenwriter, best known for her works exploring themes of identity, love, and the human condition.
While the name Marline has maintained a consistent presence throughout history, its popularity has ebbed and flowed over time, with periods of resurgence and decline. Nonetheless, its connection to the sea and maritime traditions has remained a defining characteristic, making it a unique and evocative choice for parents seeking a name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Marline + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marline 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
Marline: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marline?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 925 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marline 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 370,545 US residents.
Is Marline a common name?
We classify Marline as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,524 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marline most popular?
The single biggest year for Marline was 1935, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marline is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marline a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marline 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.