Given name
Marlis
“from the high tower”
Marlis is a variant of Marlas. One Greek interpretation is “from the high tower.”
Original GermanMarlies
Meaning & origin
What it means
Marlis is a variant of Marlas. One Greek interpretation is “from the high tower.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is German.
How it developed
Marlis is used as a form of Mary.
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
Marlis through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 846
- 0 boys · 846 girls
- Most popular year
- 1941
- 33 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2001. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 33 in 1941. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 953 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.
Marlis’s family of names
Marlis is a form of Mary. Marlis has a related form in Marlys. Marlis has a related form in Marlisa.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 13
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Marliesvariant · German
- Marlyssavariant
- Marlyssvariant
- Marlysvariant
- Marlissavariant
- Marlisevariant
- Marlissvariant
- Marlisavariant
Show 5 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Marlis
- Marlis Petersensingerborn 1968
- Marlis RahmanIndonesian politician and academic1942–2018
- Marlis HochbruckGerman mathematicianborn 1964
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marlis, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Marlene
Marlene is a feminine given name from German. It is used in English, Spanish, German, Swedish, and 1 other language.
>99% girls
Jerilyn
“one who rules with the spear”
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Irmgard
“a universal woman”
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Trudy
“one who is strong with a spear”
>99% girls
Winola
“gracious and charming friend”
>99% girls
Otilia
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>99% girls
Ernestina
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Ruther
Ruther is a surname from German.
1% boys · 99% girls