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Marlene

A Dictionary of First Names | 2006 | 584 words | Copyright

Marlene ♀ Contracted form of Latin Maria Magdalene (see Madeleine). The name is of German origin, but is now also widely used in the English-speaking world, normally in a pronunciation with two syllables (compare Arlene and Charlene). Probably the first, and certainly the most famous, bearer of the name was the film star Marlene Dietrich (1901–92), who was born Marie Magdalene. The name was further popularized in the 1940s by the wartime German song ‘Lili Marlene’, which was immensely popular among both German and British troops in North Africa.

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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Marlene." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Marlene." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Marlene1.html

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Marlene." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Marlene1.html

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