Marylu
A feminine name composed of Mary (bitter or beloved) and Lu (diminutive of Louise).
Name Census estimates that about 608 living Americans carry the first name Marylu. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Marylu today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marylu births was 1953 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marylu. 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
608
~ 1 in 563,741 Americans
Peak year
1953
27 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,773
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Marylu: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marylu from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 177 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Marylu 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 Marylu during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marylus live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Illinois recorded the most babies named Marylu, while Illinois, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 33 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marylu
The name Marylu is a combination of two separate names, Mary and Lu. Mary is a given name derived from the ancient Hebrew name Miryam or Miriam, which means "bitter" or "beloved." The name can be traced back to the New Testament and is associated with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Lu, on the other hand, is a shortened form of the name Lucia, which has Latin roots and means "light."
The combination of Mary and Lu into the name Marylu is believed to have originated in the United States in the late 19th or early 20th century. It was likely inspired by the popularity of the name Mary and the trend of combining names to create unique and distinctive monikers.
While the name Marylu does not have any direct historical references or appearances in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is a modern creation that reflects the cultural and linguistic influences of the time.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Marylu can be found in the United States Census records from the early 20th century. However, due to the scarcity of data, it is difficult to pinpoint the precise origin or earliest recorded use of the name.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Marylu. Marylu Poolman (born 1938) was an American actress and dancer known for her roles in television and film in the 1960s and 1970s. Marylu Alvarado (1937-1971) was a Mexican actress and singer who appeared in various telenovelas and films during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.
Marylu Nault (born 1942) is a Canadian former politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1993. Marylu Dowling (1938-2022) was an American author and educator who wrote several books on education and child development.
Marylu Moyer (born 1946) is an American former professional tennis player who won several Grand Slam titles in doubles and mixed doubles events during her career.
People
Marylu + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marylu 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
Marylu: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marylu?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 608 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marylu 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 563,741 US residents.
Is Marylu a common name?
We classify Marylu as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 932 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marylu most popular?
The single biggest year for Marylu was 1953, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marylu is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marylu a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marylu 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.