Marley

Spellings & scripts●

Locally spelled M'Arley in TR Türkiye.

Meaning & origin●

Attested in 1 language in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Marley is also recorded as 5 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Chinese given name2.2K records spelled Marley2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, United Kingdom, Türkiye, Netherlands

  Also written M'Arley

• Indonesian given name2.1K records spelled Marley2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Indonesia, United States, United Kingdom, Philippines

  Also written Maŕley

• a separate given name2.0K records spelled Marley2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, India

  Also written Márley

• Danish given name1.5K records spelled Marley8 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Denmark, Norway, United States, United Kingdom

  Languages: Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian

  Also written Märlễÿ, Märlëy, Mařlēy

• Hindi given name777 records spelled Marley2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, United Kingdom, India, Canada

  Also written Márley

72 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Marley is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In English, from Marley (Devon, Kent, West Riding of Yorkshire), Marley Farm in Brede (Sussex), or Mearley (Lancashire); first attested Thomas de Mardele 1208 Pl (Yorkshire)

  as a name·A Dictionary of English Surnames

• In English, places so called, for example in Devon, Kent, and W Yorks. According to Ekwall, the first element of these placenames is respectively OE (ge)mcere boundary, my rig pleasant, and meard (pine) marten. The second element in each case is OE leak wood, clearing. Vars.: Marlee, Marlow.

  as a name·A dictionary of surnames

• In English, A hamlet in Kingston parish, Canterbury district, Kent, England (OS grid ref TR1850).

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In English, Bob, Jamaican reggae musician

  as a name·Pronouncing Dictionary of Proper Names

• Foresta di gioia

  as a name·Il grande libro dei nomi per bebè. Significato, origini, curiosità. Oltre 7000 nomi per bambine e bambini Significato,…

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

US SSA — National Baby Names (1880–present) — 98 years between 1914–2025. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Gerald Palmerb. 1911GBnot in their usual nameBritish car designer (1911–1999)
• Marley Sheltonb. 1974USAmerican actress
• Marley S. McCleanb. 1987USAmerican actress
• Marley Watkinsb. 1990GBWelsh footballer (born 1990)
• Marley Brinxb. 1994CACanadian pornographic actress
• Marley Matthewsb. 1995USAmerican pornographic actress
• Marley Akéb. 2001FRFrench and Ivorian association football player
• Zahara Jolieb. 2005USnot in their usual nameadopted daughter of Angelina Jolie
• Marley May Cassandra Brosnanb. 2015daughter of Sean Brosnan
• Marley DiasUSAmerican activist and writer

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 860 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Marley?

We estimate roughly 36 thousand people bear Marley (counting its spellings and scripts) across 11 countries in our records.

In which country does Marley have the most bearers?

We estimate about 24 thousand people bear Marley in the United States, more than in any other country in our records, where it is most often spelled marley.

Where is Marley most common?

Measured as a share of residents rather than as a count, Marley is densest in Sweden — about 1 in 13 thousand people — even though United States holds more of our records for it.

Is Marley a male or female name?

Marley is recorded for both men and women. We don't publish a percentage split: a record's gender belongs to the person and is attached to every given name on that record, so names in cultures where a name string also carries a parent's or spouse's given name pick up large cross-gender counts.

What does the name Marley mean?

Recorded meaning: person from Marley, a name of several English places: e.g.