Marliene
A feminine name derived from the French form of Mary, meaning "drop of the sea."
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Marliene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Marliene today is around 88 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marliene births was 1936 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marliene. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Marliene is about 88 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Marlienes were born before 1948.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Marliene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1936
7 babies that year
Average age
88
years old
1939 SSA rank
#4,687
Tracked since 1933
Popularity
Marliene: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Marliene 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 Marliene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 23 | 23 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Marliene
The name Marliene is a relatively modern invention, with no clear origins or historical roots. It appears to be a combination of the more common names Marie and Lena, potentially created as a unique name in the 20th century.
There are no records of the name Marliene appearing in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical documents prior to the 20th century. Its lack of linguistic or cultural origins makes it difficult to trace its precise etymology or meaning.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Marliene are from the mid-20th century, but it remained relatively uncommon. One of the earliest notable individuals with this name was Marliene Jeffries, an American actress born in 1941, who had a career in television and film throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
Another early bearer of the name was Marliene Kauffman, a Canadian author and playwright born in 1944. Her works included plays and novels exploring themes of family, relationships, and the experiences of women.
In the latter part of the 20th century, Marliene Dietrich (born 1952) was a German artist and sculptor known for her abstract and conceptual works. Her pieces were featured in various exhibitions throughout Europe and North America.
Marliene Marquez (1958-2020) was a Venezuelan fashion designer and entrepreneur. She founded her own clothing line and boutiques, gaining recognition for her unique and vibrant designs inspired by Latin American culture.
More recently, Marliene Jonkers (born 1978) is a Dutch professional tennis player who has competed in various Grand Slam and international tournaments throughout her career.
While the name Marliene has gained some recognition through these individuals, it remains a relatively uncommon and modern name without a deep historical or cultural background.
People
Marliene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marliene 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
Marliene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marliene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marliene 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Marliene a common name?
We classify Marliene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 23 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marliene most popular?
The single biggest year for Marliene was 1936, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marliene is about 88 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Marliene in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Marliene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marliene 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.
Is Marliene still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Marliene in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Marliene can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Marliene as a first name?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Marliene at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.