Marla
How to say it: MAR-luh · /ˈmɑrlə/
Modern short form of Marlene or variant of Mary; ultimately tied to Hebrew Miriam, meaning 'bitter' or 'beloved'.
Marla was the 1,576th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 92 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1950s, its births are up about 35% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #1,382 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,576 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 92 |
| Share of births | 1 in 36,036 |
| Peak decade | 1950s |
| Change over 10 years | +35% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,382 |
| In France, 2025 | #1,126 among girls’ names, 20 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Marla peaked in the 1950s.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Marla is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Spanish.
In France: #1,126 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Marla
- Marla Maples (born 1963)American actress and TV personality
- Marla Gibbs (born 1931)Actress, entertainer, singer, writer, and producer
- Marla Sokoloff (born 1980)American actress
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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