Marley is an English surname taken from a place name that means "pleasant wood" or "boundary wood" in Old English. Reggae legend Bob Marley made it a first name with a laid-back, musical feel, and the family film Marley & Me added a lovable dog. For girls Marley stood at number 695 in 2000, peaked at 145 in 2008 and ranks 322nd in the United States in 2025.