Marlene

femaleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Marlene: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning or origin yet — what that means.

Pronunciation

Community-contributed pronunciation recording

Recording by Katharina Liebert. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source

VerifiedSource: Wikidata.Confidence: medium.

Marlene: Recorded since 1967, it reached #91 in 1987, and it stood at #516 in 2025.

3registrars recorded it
93times a registrar ranked it
59years from first to last
#91highest recorded position
22groupings it qualifies for

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2025

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#3126
1997	#3824
1999	#2189
2001	#3262
2002	#2868
2003	#2436
2004	#1836
2005	#3970
2006	#1585
2007	#2627
2008	#2292
2009	#2535
2010	#3533
2011	#4049
2012	#4171
2013	#3536
2014	#3514
2015	#2705
2016	#3609
2017	#5765
2018	#3985
2020	#3117
2021	#2942
2023	#4056
2024	#4843
2025	#4867

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Norway in 50 of the 59 years from 1967 to 2025.

In 2025: #516 among girls in Norway, #4867 among girls in England and Wales.

Official data from 3 national registrars across 3 regions, 1967–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1967
First recorded at #519 among girls in Norway in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #91 among girls in Norway, in 1987 (recorded 1967–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls

Marlene appears in 3 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Norway · Girls, which has ranked it in 50 years beginning in 1967, and has registered 1,095 births with the name.

Marlene across 3 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Marlene's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Norway · Girls	#519 (1967)	#91 (1987)	#516 (2025)	50 of 59	1,095 (1967–2025)	80 (1987)
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#393 (1967)	#326 (1970)	#876 (2014)	17 of 48	69 (1967–2014)	9 (1980)
England and Wales · Girls	#3126 (1996)	#1585 (2006)	#4867 (2025)	26 of 30	166 (1996–2025)	15 (2006)

Marlene by decade in Norway · Girls

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Marlene in Norway · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	9	2 of 10	5
1970s	24	5 of 10	5
1980s	276	10 of 10	28
1990sbusiest	454	10 of 10	45
2000s	211	10 of 10	21
2010s	95	9 of 10	11
2020s	26	4 of 10	7

Across Norway · Girls, the 1990s were its busiest decade, averaging 45 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 1986 and 1987, when recorded births rose by 65, from 15 to 80.

See the names Norwayhas recorded the most births with →

Marlene appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 3 regions, from 1967 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #91 in Norway in 1987.

Marlene's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2025	England and Wales	female	#4867	4	High	Verified
2024	England and Wales	female	#4843	4	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	female	#4056	5	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	female	#2942	8	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	female	#3117	7	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	female	#3985	5	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	female	#5765	3	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	female	#3609	6	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	female	#2705	9	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	female	#3514	6	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	female	#3536	6	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	female	#4171	5	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	female	#4049	5	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	female	#3533	6	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	female	#2535	9	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	female	#2292	10	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	female	#2627	8	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	female	#1585	15	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	female	#3970	4	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	female	#1836	11	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	female	#2436	7	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	female	#2868	5	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	female	#3262	4	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	female	#2189	7	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	female	#3824	3	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	female	#3126	4	High	Verified
2025	Norway	female	#516	4	High	Verified
2024	Norway	female	#467	5	High	Verified
2023	Norway	female	#366	9	High	Verified
2021	Norway	female	#377	8	High	Verified
2018	Norway	female	#465	6	High	Verified
2017	Norway	female	#434	8	High	Verified
2016	Norway	female	#460	7	High	Verified
2015	Norway	female	#418	9	High	Verified
2014	Norway	female	#418	9	High	Verified
2013	Norway	female	#427	9	High	Verified
2012	Norway	female	#279	18	High	Verified
2011	Norway	female	#426	9	High	Verified
2010	Norway	female	#265	20	High	Verified
2009	Norway	female	#277	19	High	Verified
2008	Norway	female	#363	12	High	Verified
2007	Norway	female	#358	12	High	Verified
2006	Norway	female	#256	19	High	Verified
2005	Norway	female	#374	11	High	Verified
2004	Norway	female	#235	22	High	Verified
2003	Norway	female	#160	36	High	Verified
2002	Norway	female	#181	30	High	Verified
2001	Norway	female	#210	24	High	Verified
2000	Norway	female	#204	26	High	Verified
1999	Norway	female	#150	41	High	Verified
1998	Norway	female	#158	39	High	Verified
1997	Norway	female	#173	36	High	Verified
1996	Norway	female	#160	39	High	Verified
1995	Norway	female	#135	55	High	Verified
1994	Norway	female	#159	41	High	Verified
1993	Norway	female	#145	47	High	Verified
1992	Norway	female	#133	55	High	Verified
1991	Norway	female	#159	45	High	Verified
1990	Norway	female	#144	56	High	Verified
1989	Norway	female	#120	64	High	Verified
1988	Norway	female	#139	54	High	Verified
1987	Norway	female	#91	80	High	Verified
1986	Norway	female	#322	15	High	Verified
1985	Norway	female	#266	18	High	Verified
1984	Norway	female	#306	15	High	Verified
1983	Norway	female	#545	6	High	Verified
1982	Norway	female	#457	8	High	Verified
1981	Norway	female	#499	7	High	Verified
1980	Norway	female	#424	9	High	Verified
1976	Norway	female	#615	4	High	Verified
1975	Norway	female	#613	4	High	Verified
1974	Norway	female	#616	4	High	Verified
1972	Norway	female	#527	6	High	Verified
1971	Norway	female	#496	6	High	Verified
1968	Norway	female	#558	4	High	Verified
1967	Norway	female	#519	5	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	female	#876	3	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	female	#907	3	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	female	#937	3	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	female	#842	3	High	Verified
1992	Republic of Ireland	female	#523	3	High	Verified
1988	Republic of Ireland	female	#492	3	High	Verified
1986	Republic of Ireland	female	#458	4	High	Verified
1985	Republic of Ireland	female	#421	5	High	Verified
1984	Republic of Ireland	female	#459	4	High	Verified
1983	Republic of Ireland	female	#476	4	High	Verified
1982	Republic of Ireland	female	#467	4	High	Verified
1981	Republic of Ireland	female	#471	4	High	Verified
1980	Republic of Ireland	female	#337	9	High	Verified
1978	Republic of Ireland	female	#522	3	High	Verified
1977	Republic of Ireland	female	#429	5	High	Verified
1970	Republic of Ireland	female	#326	6	High	Verified
1967	Republic of Ireland	female	#393	3	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
Norway hub — collected by Statistics Norway (SSB)
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

Where Marlene is officially recorded

3 official registrars have recorded Marlene, between 1967 and 2025, in 54 of those 59 years. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
Republic of Ireland	1967–2014	17	#326 in 1970
Norway	1967–2025	50	#91 in 1987
England and Wales	1996–2025	26	#1585 in 2006

Its high point came 36 years earlier in Republic of Ireland (1970) than in England and Wales (2006).

What the record shows

Recorded by 3 registrars between 1967 and 2025, ranked in 54 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #91, first reached in 1987.

It held a top-100 place in 1 year.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 80 births, registered in Norway in 1987.

Its record falls into 6 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 1 year.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1967, and 29 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Marlen · #193, 48y
Marlena · #550, 27y
Marley · #90, 30y
Marley-Jay · #2014, 11y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 3 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Dearbhla · #90, 57y
Howard · #90, 54y
Yvette · #93, 56y
Harold · #88, 51y

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1960 and 1969.

Cyril · #91, 57y
Leona · #91, 61y
Cathy · #92, 54y
Dearbhla · #90, 57y

Marlene was ranked #91 in Norway · Girls in 1987. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Astrid#87
Sarah#88
Thea#89
Lina#90
Solveig#92
Beate#93
Guro#94
Kaja#95

Marlene and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Marlene without appearing here.

Marlene moved ahead of

Ryan
In 2003 they stood at #3824 and #2411 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2004 that had become #1836 and #4598.
Tyler
In 2020 they stood at #3985 and #3518 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2021 that had become #2942 and #5581.
Kristine
In 2019 they stood at #5765 and #5765 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2020 that had become #3117 and #5493.
Kari
In 2010 they stood at #3533 and #3533 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2011 that had become #4049 and #5785.

Moved ahead of Marlene

Eabha
In 2016 they stood at #3609 and #4096 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2017 that had become #5765 and #2201.
Rory
In 2016 they stood at #2705 and #5730 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2017 that had become #5765 and #2706.
Arlo
In 2016 they stood at #3609 and #4096 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2017 that had become #5765 and #3583.
Noah
In 2016 they stood at #3609 and #4096 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2017 that had become #5765 and #3583.

Moved the opposite way to Marlene

Aisling
Between 1967 and 2014 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Marlene went from #393 to #876 while Aisling went from #107 to #55.
Alexandra
Between 1967 and 2014 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Marlene went from #393 to #876 while Alexandra went from #228 to #83.
Amy
Between 1967 and 2014 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Marlene went from #393 to #876 while Amy went from #393 to #30.
Anna
Between 1967 and 2014 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Marlene went from #393 to #876 while Anna went from #35 to #16.

Moved the same way as Marlene

Alma
Between 1967 and 2014 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Marlene went from #393 to #876 and Alma from #393 to #661.
Audrey
Between 1967 and 2014 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Marlene went from #393 to #876 and Audrey from #44 to #494.
Camilla
Between 1967 and 2014 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Marlene went from #393 to #876 and Camilla from #393 to #584.
Deirdre
Between 1967 and 2014 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Marlene went from #393 to #876 and Deirdre from #9 to #876.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 3 regions, from 1967 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #91 in Norway in 1987. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Marlene

Pronunciation

Marlene at a glance

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Marlene across 3 official records

Marlene by decade in Norway · Girls

Marlene appears in

Popularity data

Where Marlene is officially recorded

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Names published alongside Marlene

Marlene and the names beside it

Marlene moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Marlene

Moved the opposite way to Marlene

Moved the same way as Marlene

Marlene at a glance

Marlene across 3 official records

Marlene by decade in Norway · Girls

Marlene appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Names published alongside Marlene

Marlene and the names beside it

Marlene moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Marlene

Moved the opposite way to Marlene

Moved the same way as Marlene