Given name
Marilu
“star of the sea”·“from the sea of bitterness”
Marilu is a variant of Mary. Interpretations include “star of the sea” and “from the sea of bitterness”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Marilu is a variant of Mary. Interpretations include “star of the sea” and “from the sea of bitterness”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1919. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Marilu through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,279
- 0 boys · 2,279 girls
- Most popular year
- 1991
- 55 babies
- 2025
- 16
- #7,022 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +4%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 16 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 7,022 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 4.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 55 in 1991. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,335 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Marilu
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marilu, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Marissa
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Maricia
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Marnina
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Maira
“star of the sea” · “from the sea of bitterness”
>99% girls
Marina
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Manica
“her mind is a jewel”
>99% girls
Marisol
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Mayra
“star of the sea” · “from the sea of bitterness”
>99% girls