b babynamesuggestion
Menu

Your Shortlist

0 names saved

Marlene

Quick answerMarlene is a modern German diminutive combining "Maria" (Latin root meaning "of the sea" or "beloved") and the suffix "-lene," ultimately deriving from the Hebrew name Mary.

German · Girl · 2 syllables

M
Top 5,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderGirl
US Rank#1,268
TrendStable
Peak year1936
Syllables2
OriginGerman
LanguageGerman
CultureGerman, English, Portuguese, French
ReligionChristian
Letters7
Numerology5 Chaldean 7
Global rank#12

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Marlene

Marlene is a modern German diminutive combining "Maria" (Latin root meaning "of the sea" or "beloved") and the suffix "-lene," ultimately deriving from the Hebrew name Mary.

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

Marlene is a modern German diminutive combining "Maria" (Latin root meaning "of the sea" or "beloved") and the suffix "-lene," ultimately deriving from the Hebrew name Mary. The name gained prominence in German-speaking cultures during the 20th century and became internationally recognized through German-American entertainer Marlene Dietrich, though it is used across Christian and secular Western societies.

Marlene currently ranks #1,268 in the United States as a girl's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1936.

Themeswater

Variants & nicknames

Contribute to this name

Help improve this page with a meaning, origin, or correction—and get credited as a contributor.

Login to contribute

We use Google & Facebook login — no password needed.

AdvertisementAd — responsive (after data block)

Sibling name ideas

German, English, Portuguese, French names that sit beautifully beside Marlene

Similar names you might like

Names starting with M

Names that sound like Marlene

Phonetic match, not just spelling
Marlon
Unisex English

"Marlon is derived from the Old French name Marlon or Marle, which comes from the Germanic root "marl" meaning "lake"…"

Global rank #78 View name
Marie-Helene
Girl Greco-Latin

"Marie-Helene combines Marie (from Latin "Maria," meaning "of the sea" or possibly derived from the Hebrew "Miriam") with Helene (from…"

Global rank #84 View name
Marleen
Girl Dutch

"Marleen is a variant of Marlene, derived from the Germanic name Magdalene, which combines "Magda" (from Magdala, a biblical place)…"

Global rank #94 View name
Marlena
Girl Polish

"Marlena is a combination of "Maria" (from Latin, meaning "of the sea" or "beloved") and the suffix "-lena," making it…"

Global rank #140 View name
Merlin
Unisex Arthurian Cycle

"The name Merlin derives from the Welsh name Myrddin, likely composed of elements meaning "sea" (mor) and "fort" (din), though…"

Global rank #387 View name
Marlyn
Unisex English

"Marlyn is a modern English name combining "Mary" (from Hebrew Miriam, meaning "of the sea" or "beloved") and the suffix…"

Global rank #406 View name
Marilyn
Unisex English

"Marilyn is a modern English name combining "Mary" (from Hebrew Miriam, meaning "beloved" or "of the sea") with the diminutive…"

Global rank #426 View name
Marlen
Unisex Russian

"The name 'Marlen' is a modern blend or variant, typically combining elements from 'Mary' (meaning "beloved" or "bitter" from Hebrew…"

Global rank #450 View name
Marlin
Unisex English

"The given name 'Marlin' is a modern coinage, often interpreted as a combination of 'Mar' (from the sea) and 'lin'…"

Global rank #705 View name
Maryellen
Girl English

"Maryellen is a compound name combining Mary, meaning "beloved" or "bitter" from the Hebrew root *mry*, and Ellen, a variant…"

Global rank #736 View name
Marlone
Boy Old French/English

"The name 'Marlone' is a variant of 'Marlon', likely derived from the Old French name 'Marlon' or the English surname…"

Global rank #781 View name
Marleena
Girl Arabic

"Marleena is a Finnish and German variant of Marlene, itself a blend of Maria and Magdalene, meaning "star of the…"

Global rank #854 View name
AdvertisementAd — between sections

Names trending right now

Rising names for Girls
✏

Help us make this better for every parent

Found a mistake · Know a name we’re missing · Have a different or better meaning for a name · Any question or recommendation — your insight helps families worldwide choose with confidence.

Share your feedback →
Scroll to Top
Follow & Connect