Marlena
How to say it: mar-LAY-nuh · /mɑrˈleɪnə/
Blend of Maria (Hebrew: 'beloved') and Magdalena ('of Magdala', meaning 'tower'). Associated with Marlene Dietrich.
Marlena was the 2,141st most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 56 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1980s, its births are down about 22% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #2,656 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #2,141 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 56 |
| Share of births | 1 in 59,202 |
| Peak decade | 1980s |
| Change over 10 years | −22% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,656 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Marlena peaked in the 1980s and is less common today.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Marle
- Lena
- Mar
Honouring a Marlena in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Marlena is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish.
Famous people named Marlena
- Marlena Shaw (1942–2024)American female singer
- Marlena Karwacka (born 1997)Polish cyclist
- Marlena Zagoni (1951–2025)Romanian rower
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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