NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Marlo

A feminine given name derived from Marlene, of German origin meaning "from the pleasant meadow".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Marlo is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Marlo popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #800, with 41 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 43 births.

This profile covers 349 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 95% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 358 living people in the UK are called Marlo. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Marlo ranked #800 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 41 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 43 boys were registered as Marlo.
  • Marlo ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
  • About 358 living people in the UK are estimated to have Marlo as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 87.0% of Marlo registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#800

2024

Births in 2024

41

Latest year

Peak year

2021

43 births

Estimated living

358

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Marlo

In England and Wales birth records, Marlo has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 87.0% of registrations are for boys and 13.0% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

87% boys
13% girls
Boys349 (87.0%)Girls52 (13.0%)

Marlo registered for boys

  • Ranked #800 in 2024
  • 41 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2021 (43 births)

Marlo registered for girls

  • Ranked #2,115 in 2024
  • 13 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (13 births)

Meaning

What does Marlo mean?

The name Marlo has its origins in the Italian language, deriving from the Latin name Marius. It is believed to have originated during the Roman Empire, as Marius was a prominent Roman family name.

Marius was a Latin praenomen, or personal name, that may have derived from the Latin word "mas," meaning male or masculine. It was a popular name among Roman families, particularly those of high social status.

One of the earliest and most notable historical references to the name Marius is Gaius Marius, a Roman general and statesman who lived from 157 BC to 86 BC. He was a prominent figure in the Roman Republic and played a significant role in the Jugurthine War and the Cimbric War.

Another famous bearer of the name Marius was Pope Marius I, who served as the Bishop of Rome from 308 to 309 AD. He is known for his efforts to maintain unity within the early Christian church during a period of persecution.

In the Middle Ages, the name Marlo emerged as a variant of Marius, particularly in Italy. One of the earliest recorded examples of this variant was Marlo Carletti, an Italian merchant and explorer who lived in the 16th century and traveled to the East Indies.

During the Renaissance period, the name Marlo gained popularity among Italian artists and intellectuals. Marlo Fiore, an Italian painter and architect who lived from 1470 to 1528, was a notable figure of this time.

In the 19th century, the name Marlo became more widespread across Europe and was adopted in various languages and cultures. Marlo Prévost, a French writer and literary critic, lived from 1809 to 1892 and was a prominent figure in the Romantic movement.

As the name Marlo spread, it was used by individuals from different backgrounds and professions. Marlo Lewis, an American environmental scholar and policy analyst, was born in 1964 and has made significant contributions to the field of environmental economics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Marlo over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Marlo in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Marlo, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 41 births in 2024, compared with 43 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
014274154199720102024

Decades

Marlo by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Marlo was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #887 177 5
2010s #1710 149 10
2000s #2989 20 4
1990s #2859 3 1

Geography

Where Marlo is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Marlo. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Marlo ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Marlo in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#727 in 2024

3 years of NRS records, 11 total registered

Related

Names similar to Marlo

FAQ

Marlo: questions and answers

How popular is the name Marlo in the UK right now?

In 2024, Marlo was ranked #800 for boys in England and Wales, with 41 births registered.

When was Marlo most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 43 babies registered as Marlo in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Marlo?

A feminine given name derived from Marlene, of German origin meaning "from the pleasant meadow".

How many people are called Marlo in the UK?

A total of 349 babies have been registered as Marlo across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 11 more in Scotland.

Where is Marlo most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Marlo ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #727 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.