As we creep closer to the end of the Baby Name Advent, I thought the name Marley would be a great addition as a winter-inspired name, as this one always makes me think of A Christmas Carol‘s Jacob Marley, and what are the holidays without at least one viewing of the good old black and white 1951 version of the ghostly Victorian Christmas classic? This unisex name was first used in the 12th century and is derived from a combination of the Old English words ‘marten’ and ‘leah’. A marten is a small woodland animal and ‘leah’ meant ‘woodland’ or ‘wood clearing’.
Of course, there is also the connection to Bob Marley too, which mustn’t be overlooked!
For more winter-inspired baby names, please visit the Baby Name Advent page!
meaning
Pleasant seaside meadow
pronunciation
MAR-lee
origin
English
popularity
In 2020, Marley was the 211th most popular girl’s name in the US, and the 939th most popular boy’s name.
nicknames
Mar, Lele, Lee
NOTABLE PEOPLE & CHARACTERS
Marley Dias (born 2005) – African-American activist and feminist
Marley Shelton (born 1974) – American actress
Marley Zarcone (born 1983) – Canadian comic book artist
Marley Aké (born 2001) – French footballer
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