Merlin Boy
How popular is Merlin?
#2,332 boy name in 2025
59 baby boys were named Merlin in the US in 2025, making it the 2332nd most popular boy name. Another 14 girls got the name (#7,489 for girls).
6,420living people named Merlin (est.)
60median age of people named Merlin
15,968babies named Merlin since 1880
1 in 45,416US babies born in 2025
Merlin popularity over time
Boys Girls
| Rank in 2025 | #2,332 for boys (▼ 275 from 2024) |
|---|---|
| Babies in 2025 | 59 boys, 14 girls |
| 10-year trend | Rising fast (+69% babies vs 2015) |
| Earlier ranks | #3,230 in 2015, #2,466 in 2020 |
| Peak year | 1927 (389 boys) |
| Highest rank | #287 in 1927 |
| First recorded | 1885 |
| Boys vs girls (last 10 years) | 82% boys, 18% girls |
| Chance a classmate shares it | 0.1% in a class of 25 kids born in 2025 |
Where Merlin is most popular
Babies named Merlin per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021 to 2025. Darker means more common.
AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
- Ohio: 0.1 per 1,000 (15 boys)
- Pennsylvania: 0.0 per 1,000 (13 boys)
- Colorado: 0.0 per 1,000 (6 boys)
- Indiana: 0.0 per 1,000 (7 boys)
- Wisconsin: 0.0 per 1,000 (5 boys)
Merlin by decade
| Decade | Baby boys | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 14 | #679 |
| 1890s | 42 | #685 |
| 1900s | 145 | #438 |
| 1910s | 1,492 | #355 |
| 1920s | 3,322 | #287 |
| 1930s | 2,963 | #291 |
| 1940s | 2,060 | #364 |
| 1950s | 1,574 | #505 |
| 1960s | 894 | #734 |
| 1970s | 533 | #960 |
| 1980s | 407 | #1,357 |
| 1990s | 391 | #1,775 |
| 2000s | 443 | #1,978 |
| 2010s | 404 | #2,324 |
| 2020s | 365 | #2,057 |
Boy names about as popular as Merlin
Questions
- Is Merlin a boy or girl name?
- Merlin is mostly a boy name. Over the last 10 years, 82% of babies named Merlin were boys.
- How popular is the name Merlin?
- 59 baby boys were named Merlin in the US in 2025, making it the 2332nd most popular boy name. Another 14 girls got the name (#7,489 for girls).
- When was Merlin most popular?
- Merlin peaked in 1927, when 389 boys were given the name. Its highest rank was #287 in 1927.
- How many people are named Merlin?
- 15,968 babies have been named Merlin in the US since 1880. We estimate about 6,420 of them are alive in 2026, with a median age of 60.
- Where is Merlin most popular?
- From 2021 to 2025, Merlin was most common in Ohio, at 0.1 of every 1,000 boys born there.
Source: Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880 to 2025 (names given to at least 5 babies of a sex in a year). Living-people and median-age figures are our estimates using US life tables. How we calculate.