NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Marlyn

A feminine name of English origin meaning "from the meadow near the lake.".

Marlyn is a girl's name in the UK records.

We estimate that about 22 living people in the UK are called Marlyn. 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

  • Marlyn ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #512 in 1983.
  • About 22 living people in the UK are estimated to have Marlyn as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

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Births in -

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Peak year

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Estimated living

22

2026

Meaning

What does Marlyn mean?

The name Marlyn is believed to have its origins in the English language, derived from the combination of two older words: "mere," meaning a small body of water or a lake, and "lyn," which is an Old English word meaning a pool or a waterfall. This suggests that the name Marlyn may have initially referred to someone living near a body of water.

In terms of historical references, the name Marlyn does not appear to have been widely used in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, there are some notable individuals throughout history who have borne this name.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Marlyn is Marlyn Edward Krueger, an American baseball player who was born in 1913 and played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1935 to 1946. Another early example is Marlyn Aho, a Finnish-American author and poet who lived from 1916 to 1980.

In the 20th century, Marlyn Monrovia Smith, an American actress and model, became famous for her roles in various television shows and films. She was born in 1955 and is still active in the entertainment industry.

Marlyn Wescoff Devine, an American politician, was born in 1927 and served as the First Lady of Ohio from 1963 to 1967, during her husband's tenure as the governor of the state.

In the world of sports, Marlyn Manners was a Canadian ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1966 to 1978. He was born in 1946 and is remembered for his contributions to the Vancouver Canucks and Atlanta Flames.

It is worth noting that while the name Marlyn has been used throughout history, it has never been among the most popular names in various cultures or regions. However, it has maintained a unique and distinctive character, often associated with individuals who have made notable contributions in their respective fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Geography

Where Marlyn is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Marlyn. 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.

Marlyn ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #512 in 1983.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Marlyn in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#512 in 1983

5 years of NRS records, 23 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Marlyn

  • Marlyn Samuel

    writer; novelist

    Welsh novelist

    1965-

  • Marlyn Glen

    politician

    British politician (born 1951)

    1951-

Related

Names similar to Marlyn

FAQ

Marlyn: questions and answers

What is the meaning and origin of Marlyn?

A feminine name of English origin meaning "from the meadow near the lake.".

Where is Marlyn most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Marlyn ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #512 in 1983. 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.