Marlena
Girl name · #2968 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Marlena? In official American birth records, Marlena has been tracked continuously since 1925, giving it 100 years of documented American history.
Marlena is currently the #2968 girl name in the United States — 56 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2471, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 32,143 girls born in 2025 was named Marlena.
The 100-year story
Marlena first appears in the Social Security records in 1925, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1978, when 470 girls were named Marlena — good for #430 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Marlena per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Marlena against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Marlena in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Marlena is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Marlena will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Marlena is most common
State-level data for Marlena is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Marlena
Statistically, parents drawn to Marlena tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lorena, Maricela, Suzanna, Katrina, and Celena.
LorenaMaricelaSuzannaKatrinaCelenaMirnaSalinaMelisa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Marlena | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 56 | #2957 |
| 2024 | 44 | #3516 |
| 2023 | 54 | #3047 |
| 2022 | 67 | #2604 |
| 2021 | 56 | #2958 |
| 2020 | 72 | #2416 |
| 2019 | 73 | #2428 |
| 2018 | 78 | #2334 |
| 2017 | 62 | #2744 |
| 2016 | 82 | #2308 |
| 2015 | 73 | #2471 |
| 2014 | 92 | #2096 |
| 2013 | 100 | #1968 |
| 2012 | 83 | #2265 |
| 2011 | 77 | #2395 |
| 2010 | 72 | #2538 |
| 2009 | 100 | #2041 |
| 2008 | 108 | #1949 |
| 2007 | 97 | #2085 |
| 2006 | 113 | #1809 |
| 2005 | 122 | #1639 |
| 2004 | 95 | #1962 |
| 2003 | 104 | #1802 |
| 2002 | 140 | #1376 |
| 2001 | 139 | #1368 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Marlena?
In official American birth records, the name Marlena first appeared in 1925 (over 100 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 100 years.
Is Marlena a popular girl name?
Marlena ranked #2968 among girls in 2025 with 56 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2471.
When was the name Marlena most popular?
Marlena peaked in 1978, when 470 American girls received the name (ranked #430 that year). Since 1978 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Marlena?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 32,143 newborn American girls was named Marlena. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.