Marion began as a medieval French diminutive of Marie and shares the uncertain meaning of Mary, most often explained as "beloved" or "sea of bitterness". It was long used for both sexes in America, with the actress Marion Davies and the character Marion Ravenwood from Indiana Jones on the female side. As a girls' name Marion ranked number 1342 in 2000, its best year in this century, and has drifted gently to number 2044 in 2025.