Marlie is a feminine spelling of Marley, an English surname and place name usually explained as "pleasant wood" or "marten's clearing"; it also works as a pet form of Marlene. The -ie ending gives it a soft, girlish look alongside Carly and Hadley. In the United States Marlie entered the top 1000 in 2008 and peaked at number 895 in 2009, then slipped back out and has settled in the 1200s to 1500s, standing at number 1422 in 2025.