A 1930s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Marlynn since 1922
Babies named Marlynn per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1955, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Marlynn's real moment was 1936.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 37 |
| 1930s | 114 |
| 1940s | 137 |
| 1950s | 153 |
| 1960s | 111 |
| 1970s | 77 |
| 1980s | 66 |
| 1990s | 80 |
| 2000s | 59 |
| 2010s | 90 |
| 2020s | 35 |
Meaning & origin
Marlynn is a blended name that reached its peak popularity in 1936, the same decade that saw its highest usage in the 1930s, when the name was given more often than in any other period. After decades of decline, it has been rising again since 2020, though it remains very uncommon, with a 2025 rank of 11,932 and an incidence of 1 in 229,610 newborns. As a revival name from the 1930s, Marlynn fits a trend of rediscovered early-20th-century composites, appealing to parents who favor the familiar sounds of Mary and Lynn in a single name.
Marlynn is a modern compound name, blending Mary (from Hebrew Miriam, of uncertain meaning, traditionally 'bitter' or 'beloved') with Lynn (from Welsh llyn, meaning 'lake'). It emerged in the early 20th century as part of a trend of combining popular names, particularly in the United States. It shares stylistic similarities with names like Marlene and Marilyn.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Mar, Lynnie, Marly
Sibling names for Marlynn
Names that share Marlynn's style, for a brother or sister.
