Marla

“Variant of Marlene — Modern coinage — blend of Maria and Magdalene” — Modern coinage origin

Girl's name · #2051 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Marla has appeared in US records since 1912 — best rank #193 (1955) · 38,781 babies named Marla all-time · 1 in 17,000 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 1,300 girls in Switzerland (2024) · about 1 in 2,000 girls in Scotland (2025) · about 1 in 2,400 girls in N. Ireland (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 9 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Marlas

Marla Maples — American actress and TV personality (born 1963)
Marla Gibbs — actress, entertainer, singer, writer, and producer (born 1931)
Marla Sokoloff — American actress
Marla Adams — American actress (1938–2024)
Marla English — American film actress (1935-2012)

In stories & tradition

Marla — Roseanne

What Marlas become

Among 83 notable people named Marla:

Entertainers appear 2.25× more often than among typical names — e.g. Marla Maples, American actress and TV personality (born 1963).

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.