Marlyce

Meaning & origin

Marlyce is an uncommon American name that first appeared in the 1926 Social Security records. Its peak popularity occurred in 1935, when it reached its highest rank, though it never entered the national top 1000. The trajectory of Marlyce has been stable over the decades, with a very low but persistent rate of new births each year. As of 2025, the name remains in use but is extremely rare, with no new babies recorded in recent years. Its top states are unspecified, suggesting it was never heavily concentrated in any region. Marlyce exemplifies the early-20th-century fashion for feminine names ending in -lyce, a pattern also seen in names like Marlene and Darlene.

Marlyce appears to be a modern American coinage, first recorded in the 1926 Social Security data. It likely combines a Mar- element, drawn from names like Mary (from Hebrew 'bitter') or Marlene (a German blend of Maria and Magdalene), with the fashionable suffix -lyce, reminiscent of Alice or Felice. The name saw its peak popularity in 1935 and has remained in sporadic use since, reflecting a mid-20th-century trend for inventive, melodious feminine names.