Marilyn Monroe
There are approximately 31 people named Marilyn Monroe living in the United States today. That makes this name combination very rare, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 11,056,592 Americans.
This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name Marilyn with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Monroe. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and Census demographics where available.
Expected bearers
31
1 in 11,056,592
Named Marilyn
171K
Alive today
Named Monroe
61K
Alive today
US population
343M
Denominator
Estimated living: 171K
Rarity: Common
Gender: Female
Peak year: 1947
Average age: 67
Top Census group: White (78.7%)
Estimated bearers: 61K
Rarity: Uncommon
Census rank: #618
Per 100K: 17.89
Top ancestry: White (60.6%)
First name trend
Marilyn: popularity over time
Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name Marilyn. The peak year was 1947 with 11,905 births. The average person named Marilyn today is 67 years old.
Babies born per year
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marilyn
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the first name Marilyn, from the 2020 US Census Bureau first-name tables. The largest published group is White at 78.7%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Marilyn described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the name Marilyn at the time of the Census. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White78.7% · 195,610
- Black or African American8.9% · 22,051
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 19,854
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 5,999
- Two or more races1.4% · 3,502
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1,648
Ethnicity
Ancestry of the Monroe surname
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Monroe, from the 2020 US Census Bureau. The largest group is White at 60.6%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the surname Monroe described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the surname Monroe at the time of the Census. A surname does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White60.6% · 32,404
- Black or African American28.0% · 14,962
- Two or more races5.0% · 2,652
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 2,388
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 727
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 350
Methodology
How we calculated this
The first name Marilyn has a living-bearer frequency of 0.0499% of the US population, based on 171,181 estimated living Americans carrying this first name (from SSA birth records going back to 1880, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables).
Even though the Census Bureau now publishes first-name tables, we do not use that file as the main first-name input for this estimate. The latest first-name Census snapshot is from 2020, which makes it 6 years old today. Because Census first-name data is only released once every 10 years, SSA birth records plus CDC survival rates give a better current estimate of how many people are likely alive with the name Marilyn right now.
The surname Monroe appears at a rate of 17.89 per 100,000 residents in the 2020 Census Bureau surname file, which translates to a frequency of 0.0179%.
Multiplying these two independent frequencies against the current US population of 342,754,338 gives an expected count of approximately 31 people with the full name Marilyn Monroe. This assumes statistical independence between first and last names, which is a simplification but produces reasonable estimates for most combinations.
Related
Other people named Marilyn
Related
Other people with the surname Monroe
FAQ
Marilyn Monroe: questions and answers
How many people are named Marilyn Monroe?
We estimate approximately 31 people in the United States share the full name Marilyn Monroe. That works out to about 1 in 11,056,592 Americans. This is calculated by combining the first-name frequency (0.0499%) with the surname frequency (17.89 per 100K) against the current US population.
How rare is the name Marilyn Monroe?
We classify Marilyn Monroe as "Very Rare". About 1 in 11,056,592 Americans share this exact first and last name combination.
Is Marilyn a male or female name?
Marilyn is predominantly female. Out of 374,490 total SSA registrations, 0.3% were male and 99.7% were female. See the full Marilyn profile for detailed gender data.
Where does this data come from?
First-name data comes from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files (1880 to 2024). Surname data comes from the 2020 US Census Bureau decennial surname tables. Living-bearer estimates use CDC actuarial life tables to adjust for mortality. Read the full methodology.
How many people are named Marilyn Monroe?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Marilyn Monroe on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.