Marlene is a feminine given name of German origin, derived from the Germanic elements 'mag' meaning 'strength', and 'hild' meaning 'battle'. It gained popularity in the English-speaking world during the mid-20th century, largely due to actresses such as Marlene Dietrich, who was born Marie Magdalene Dietrich but adopted the stage name Marlene.
The name Marlene experienced considerable fluctuations in popularity over the given years. It peaked in 1936 with 22 births and again in 1940 with 17 births. However, it dropped significantly after World War II, with only 5 births each in 1948 and 1950. While there were periodic increases thereafter, such as 7 births in 1963 and 8 births in 1989, the name's popularity remained generally low from the mid-20th century onwards, with most years seeing fewer than 10 births. Overall, Marlene was given to a total of 359 babies between 1931 and 1994.