Given name & surname · also French
Marlon
“resembling a little hawk”
Marlon is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “resembling a little hawk.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “resembling a little hawk.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is French, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Marlon through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 31,292
- 30,956 boys · 336 girls
- Most popular year
- 1972
- 1,037 babies
- 2025
- 195
- #1,105 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −18%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 195 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,105 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 18.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,028 in 1972. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (30). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 34,097 as a first name in 2020; 111 as a surname in 2010.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Marlon’s family of names
Marlon has a related form in Marlin. In English usage, Marlon has a conventional equivalent in the German form Markus. Marlon has a related form in Marlen.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 14
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Marlon
- Marlon BrandoAmerican actor (1924–2004)
- Marlon WayansAmerican actor, screenwriter, and film producerborn 1972
- Marlon JacksonAmerican singer and member of The Jackson 5born 1957
- Marlon HarewoodBritish footballer (born 1979)
- Marlon JamesJamaican novelistborn 1970
- MarlonBrazilian footballer (born September 1995)
- Marlon DevonishEnglish sprint athleteborn 1976
- Marlon AyovíEcuadorian footballerborn 1971
- Marlon KingJamaican-English footballer (born 1980)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marlon, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Charlton
“from the free man's town”
>99% boys
Clifton
“cliff”
>99% boys
Byron
“one who lives near the cow sheds”
>99% boys
Shelton
“from the farm on the ledge”
>99% boys
Daron
“the great one” · “from a small rocky hill”
>99% boys
Darren
“a great man” · “a gift from God”
>99% boys
Vinson
“the son of Vincent”
>99% boys
Jermaine
“woman from Germany” · “a man from Germany”
>99% boys