What Does the Name Marley Mean?

Marley is a unisex name of English (surname/place name) origin meaning “'pleasant wood/meadow' or 'boundary wood' (Old English).”

Updated June 2026

Name	Marley
Gender	unisex
Origin	English (surname/place name)
Meaning	'pleasant wood/meadow' or 'boundary wood' (Old English)
Variants	Marlee, Marleigh, Marly, Marlie
Popularity	Used for both sexes but leans female in recent U.S. usage; a popular top-500 name, especially in '-lee/-leigh' spellings.

The meaning and origin of Marley

The name Marley means “'pleasant wood/meadow' or 'boundary wood' (Old English)” and has English (surname/place name) origins. Marley is an English surname turned given name, from Old English place-name elements meaning a clearing or wood (commonly 'mearth/mære' plus 'leah,' a wood or meadow). Its modern popularity is closely tied to musician Bob Marley.

Variants and related names

Marley is related to several other names you may recognize: Marlee, Marleigh, Marly, Marlie. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Marley?

Used for both sexes but leans female in recent U.S. usage; a popular top-500 name, especially in '-lee/-leigh' spellings.

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