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The short answer
Marley is a feminine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From an English surname that was taken from a place name meaning either ‘pleasant wood’, ‘boundary wood’ or ‘marten wood’ in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945-1981)." It ranked #322 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from an English surname that was taken from a place name meaning either ‘pleasant wood’, ‘boundary wood’ or ‘marten wood’ in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945-1981). The entry lists its usage as English (Modern).
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Marley ranked #322 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #322 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Marley in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Marley mean?
Behind the Name does not give Marley a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: from an English surname that was taken from a place name meaning either pleasant wood, boundary wood or marten wood in Old English.
Is Marley a popular name?
Marley ranked #322 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Marley a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Marley appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine & masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Marley — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
