Girl · #15,678 in 2026

Edlin

Edlin is a line editor, and the only text editor provided with early versions of IBM PC DOS, MS-DOS and OS/2. Although superseded in MS-DOS 5.0 and later by the full-screen MS-DOS Editor, and by Notepad in Microsoft Windows, it continued to be included in the 32-bit versions of Microsoft operating systems up to Windows Server 2008 and Windows 10.

Current Rank
#15,678
Peak Rank
#2,250 (1989)
Total Babies
289
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1984
First Year
2018
Last Year
1989
Peak Year
#2250
Peak Rank
289
Total Count
15
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Edlin

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Edlin is a line editor, and the only text editor provided with early versions of IBM PC DOS, MS-DOS and OS/2. Although superseded in MS-DOS 5.0 and later by the full-screen MS-DOS Editor, and by Notepad in Microsoft Windows, it continued to be included in the 32-bit versions of Microsoft operating systems up to Windows Server 2008 and Windows 10.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
EDLIN.COM (among several other commands) in IBM PC DOS 1.0 Using EDLIN for typing Japanese with the ATOK 8 input method editor, running on MS-DOS 3.3C for the PC-9800 series Edlin was created by Tim Paterson in two weeks in 1980, for Seattle Computer Products 's 86-DOS (QDOS) based on the CP/M context editor ED , itself distantly inspired by the DEC PDP-10 TOPS-10 EDIT text editor. Microsoft acquired 86-DOS and, after some further development, sold it as MS-DOS, so Edlin was included in v1.0–v5.0 of MS-DOS. From MS-DOS 6 onwards, the only editor included was the new full-screen MS-DOS Editor .

The Story of Edlin

Edlin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1984, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1989, when 53 Edlins were born — ranking #2,250 that year. As of 2026, Edlin ranks #15,678 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 289 Edlins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
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AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
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Top 10
11-50
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500+
No data

Names that sound like Edlin

Phonetically similar names — useful when Edlin is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Edlin

What does the name Edlin mean?
Edlin is a line editor, and the only text editor provided with early versions of IBM PC DOS, MS-DOS and OS/2. Although superseded in MS-DOS 5.0 and later by the full-screen MS-DOS Editor, and by Notepad in Microsoft Windows, it continued to be included in the 32-bit versions of Microsoft operating systems up to Windows Server 2008 and Windows 10.
How popular is Edlin in 2026?
In 2026, Edlin ranks #15,678 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Edlin most popular?
Edlin reached its peak popularity in 1989, ranking #2,250 that year with 53 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Edlin most popular?
Edlin has historically been most popular in California, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Edlin.
Is Edlin a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Edlin is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Edlin?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Edlin include Tonnie, Jeanann, Saralyn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Tonnie
Peak #2250
👧
Jeanann
Peak #2250
👧
Saralyn
Peak #2250
👧
Jeralyn
Peak #2250
👧
Mikel
Peak #2250
👧
Coni
Peak #2250
👧
Gaylynn
Peak #2250
👧
Melanee
Peak #2250

About the name Edlin

Edlin is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1984 and has accumulated 289 births in the dataset. Edlin's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #2,250. Use the chart and map above to compare Edlin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.