Star of the sea or meadow
Marlea is a modern blend or variation, likely combining the Latin-derived Mary, meaning 'star of the sea,' with the English suffix -lea, meaning 'meadow.' It may also be a phonetic spelling of the German name Marlene or the English Marley.
Less common today
Marlea isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #6,581 in 2008.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
