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Marlene

Girl name · 86 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Marlene: 86 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 14 births in 1974.

Marlene is a 20th-century invention, a blend of the German names Maria and Magdalene—most famously borne by the iconic German-American actress Marlene Dietrich, whose sultry voice and androgynous style defined Hollywood glamour in the 1930s. The name’s roots are shared with the Magdalene River in Colombia, while the Scottish town of Magdalene, near Edinburgh, echoes the same biblical origin. Though not tied to a specific place named after a Marlene, the name gained a starkly different cultural echo as a character in the classic 1950s film “The Blue Angel”—Dietrich’s breakthrough role. Variants include Marlena, and the name saw a quiet peak in Scotland in the 1970s, briefly popular before fading.

Girl 13 of 52 years

Peak year
197414 babies
Latest (1986)
#4854 babies
Total births
86since 1974
5-year trend
▼ 35%vs prior 5y
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1974 · 14
Births per year in Scotland. Missing years had a count of 2 or fewer (suppressed by NRS).