Marilyn

Marilyn combines Mary with the common name suffix lyn and was very rare before the early 20th century. It was helped into wider use by the American stage star Marilyn Miller (1898–1936), born Mary Ellen Reynolds, whose stage name came from her birth name and her mother’s middle name, Lynn. The name became popular in the United States in the 1920s and peaked at 13th place in 1936. Notable bearers include American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962), born Norma Jeane Mortenson, and American opera singer Marilyn Horne (born 1934).

Marilyn moved from #665 to #761 for girls between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 1947, with 11,881 births.