Marion
Feminine · “bitter”
Marion is given to both — 189,218 girls and 72,495 boys since 1880. See Marion as a boy nameSee other names given to both
Marion is a medieval French diminutive of Marie — a name made small and affectionate in the twelfth century, which then became a full name in its own right and eventually crossed to men and back.
How old is the name Marion?
Marion was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Marion alive today was born around 1924, making them about 101 years old. About 45,000 people named Marion are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Marion most popular?
Marion peaked in 1922, reaching #42 nationally. Today it ranks #2036, 1,994 places below that high. See the whole 1922 chart.
Where it comes from
From Miryam to Marion
The story of Marion
French formed Marion from Marie in the Middle Ages, and it appears in the thirteenth-century pastoral play Robin et Marion, which is where the Maid Marian of the Robin Hood ballads gets her name. English used it for women from the Middle Ages and, from the nineteenth century, for men as well — usually as a family surname carried forward. Feminine use peaked in America in the 1910s and 1920s.
Meaningscholars disagree
bitter; beloved; sea
Through Marie and Maria, from the Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning is among the most argued-over in the field. 'Bitter', 'beloved', 'rebellious' and an Egyptian element meaning beloved have all been proposed, and none has won. The -on ending is a French diminutive and carries no meaning.
How the name formed
- Miryam
- Maria
- Marie
- Marion
Related forms: Marion · Marian · Marion
Pronouncing Marion
MA-ree-un
Three syllables, stress on the first. French says it ma-ree-OHN with a nasal ending and the stress at the back.
Nicknames for Marion
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most girls named
- 19246,047 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #42reached in 1922
- Change vs 2022
- −23.1%93 in 2025, from 121
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Marion in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Marion in French — same name
- Marian in English — spelling variant
- Marion in German — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, New York.
Marions among us
people named Marion are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 17,282 born in 2025 was named Marion
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Gertrude test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Marion's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Gertrude climbed just as high around 1906, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Gertrude's path sketches the road Marion is walking now.
Marion sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Marion is headed
Marion should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Marion beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Marion in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Mary stands behind it, the single most-used woman's name in European history.
- It has a documented medieval literary appearance and a genuine French pedigree.
- Three syllables with a front stress, which holds up against a short surname.
- It is genuinely unisex in American records and does not signal sex on paper.
- Marian and Marion are both established and easily confused.
- Mary's own meaning is unsettled.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Marion to the vote.
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What they receive
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Marion
Feminine · #2036 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Marions are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 45,000 people named Marion are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Marion in 2025?
- Marion ranks #2036 among US girl names in 2025, with 93 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Marion?
- About 1 in every 17,282 US girls born in 2025 was named Marion — 93 in all.
- Will my child share the name Marion with classmates?
- Marion will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Marion
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Mayzie#2036 · Alyanna#2036 · Moira#2036 · Jude#2036 · Aysel#2036 · Jaycie#2036 · Swayze#2036 · Tania#2036
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Marion? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Marion and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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