as a First Name
Contracted form of Latin Maria Magdalene (see Madeleine). The name is of German origin, but is now also widely used in the English-speaking world, normally in a pronunciation with two syllables (compare Arlene and Charlene). Probably the first, and certainly the most famous, bearer of the name was the film star Marlene Dietrich (1901–92), who was born Marie Magdalene. The name was further popularized in the 1940s by the wartime German song ‘Lili Marlene’, which was immensely popular among both German and British troops in North Africa.
| 364th in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Quick facts
- Tens of Thousands
- of people in the U.S have this name
- 137,387
- to be exact (as of February 2011)
- North Dakota
- has the most people named Marlene per capita
- 1936
- marked the height of its popularity
99.99%
0.01%
64%
55+
55+
22%
30-54
30-54
6%
13-29
13-29
7%
0-12
0-12
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
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