Marlon is of African origin, meaning 'little lion'. It's a unisex name but is more commonly used for males. This name gained popularity due to actor Marlon Brando, who was known for his Method Acting and iconic roles in films like "The Godfather" and "A Streetcar Named Desire". The name has also been used by other notable figures such as Marlon James, the Jamaican writer who won the Man Booker Prize in 2015.
The name Marlon experienced significant popularity growth between the late 1940s and the early 1970s, with a peak of 1029 births in 1972. However, its usage has steadily declined since then, dropping to an all-time low of 216 births in 2020. Despite this decline, Marlon remained relatively popular until the late 1980s, with over 400 births annually between 1981 and 1989. In recent years, its usage has stabilized around the 200-300 birth mark per year.