Given name
Marlyn
“resembling a little hawk”
Marlyn is a variant of Marlon. One English interpretation is “resembling a little hawk.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Marlyn is a variant of Marlon. One English interpretation is “resembling a little hawk.” Its derivation is not certain.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Marlyn is a variant of Marlon. A possible origin is French, although the derivation remains uncertain. Marlyn is a variant of Marlene. An origin associated with Marlene is German.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Marlyn through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 9,112
- 2,306 boys · 6,806 girls
- Most popular year
- 1935
- 278 babies
- 2025
- 22
- #5,653 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −25%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 4% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 22 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,653 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 19.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 193 in 1936. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,057 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.
Marlyn’s family of names
Marlyn has a related form in Marilyn. Marlyn has a related form in Marlene. Marlyn has a related form in Marlon.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Marlyn
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marlyn, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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