NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Marylou

A feminine name combining "Mary" and "Lou", possibly meaning "drop of the sea".

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.

Marylou is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Marylou popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 4 births.

This profile covers 36 England and Wales registrations across 10 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 36 living people in the UK are called Marylou. 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

  • Marylou ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1997, when 4 girls were registered as Marylou.
  • About 36 living people in the UK are estimated to have Marylou as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4843

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

1997

4 births

Estimated living

36

2026

Meaning

What does Marylou mean?

The name Marylou is a combination of the names Mary and Lou, both of which have their origins in different cultures and time periods.

The first part of the name, Mary, is derived from the ancient Hebrew name Miryam or Miriam, which means "bitter" or "beloved". This name is significant in the Christian tradition as it was the name of the mother of Jesus Christ. The earliest known instances of the name Mary date back to the 1st century AD, and it has been a popular name among Christians ever since.

The second part of the name, Lou, is a shortened form of the French name Louise, which in turn is derived from the Germanic name Hlodwig or Clovis. This name means "famous warrior" or "famous battle". The name Louise gained popularity in France during the Middle Ages and was later adopted in other European countries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marylou can be found in the novel "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, published in 1951. In the novel, Marylou is the name of a character who is a friend of the protagonist's former girlfriend.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who carried the name Marylou. One of the most famous was Marylou Whitney, an American philanthropist and socialite who was born in 1925 and passed away in 2019. She was known for her contributions to various charitable causes and her love for horse racing.

Another notable Marylou was Marylou Mooney, an American actress and dancer who was born in 1946. She appeared in various TV shows and movies throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including "The Parent Trap" and "The Rat Patrol".

In the world of sports, Marylou Trettenero was a Canadian sprinter who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. She won a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay event.

Marylou Sudders is an American politician and public servant who has served as the Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 2015.

Finally, Marylou Berk was an American writer and journalist who was born in 1924 and passed away in 2015. She was best known for her work as a columnist and editor for the Los Angeles Times.

Overall, the name Marylou has a rich history that spans across different cultures and time periods, with notable individuals from various fields carrying this name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Marylou over time

The chart below shows babies named Marylou registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Marylou, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Marylou
01234199720102024

Decades

Marylou by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Marylou 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 #5256 7 2
2010s #4992 15 4
2000s #4068 10 3
1990s #3174 4 1

Related

Names similar to Marylou

FAQ

Marylou: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Marylou was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Marylou most popular?

The peak year on record was 1997, with 4 babies registered as Marylou in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Marylou?

A feminine name combining "Mary" and "Lou", possibly meaning "drop of the sea".

How many people are called Marylou in the UK?

A total of 36 babies have been registered as Marylou across the 10 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.