Star of the sea; bitter; or from Magdala
Marleen is a Dutch and German contraction of Maria and Magdalena. It combines the traditional Hebrew roots of Mary, often interpreted as 'star of the sea' or 'bitterness', with the place name Magdala, referring to Mary Magdalene. It gained international visibility through the mid-20th century song 'Lili Marleen'.
Less common today
Marleen isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #2,376 in 2007.
Oscar-winning Dutch writer and director
Olympic gold medalist swimmer
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
