Marli is a spelling of Marley, an English surname and place name meaning "pleasant wood" or "boundary wood". Bob Marley made the surname a first-name candidate, and the dog in Marley and Me (2008) gave it a friendly, everyday feel. Marli peaked at number 1394 in 2008, the year the film came out, has stayed outside the US top 1000 and ranks number 2317 in 2025.