Holding steady.
Popularity of Marda since 1917
Babies named Marda per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1955, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Marda's real moment was 1936.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 13 |
| 1920s | 19 |
| 1930s | 67 |
| 1940s | 106 |
| 1950s | 109 |
| 1960s | 44 |
| 1970s | 28 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 5 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Marda is a rare American given name that first appeared on the U.S. naming charts in 1917. It reached its peak popularity in 1936, but has since fallen out of common use, with no recorded births in the latest year of 2025. The name's origin is unclear; it may be a feminine form of the surname Marden or a variant of Marda, possibly derived from the Persian Mardan meaning 'hero.' Despite its obscurity, Marda had a brief moment of favor in the 1930s, fitting in with other short, crisp names of that era like Edna and Dora. Its trajectory has been stable over the decades, never surging but occasionally appearing in records. As a name of uncertain etymology, Marda remains a curiosity, likely chosen for its simplicity and rarity.
The name Marda is of uncertain origin. It may be a feminine form of the English surname Marden, which derives from a place name meaning 'boundary hill,' or it could be a variant of Marda, a diminutive of Mardiana, itself possibly connected to the Persian name Mardan meaning 'hero.' The name saw modest use in the United States in the early 20th century, peaking in 1936.
Sibling names for Marda
Names that share Marda's style, for a brother or sister.
