Unisex · #1,889 in 2026

Marlin

Marlin may refer to the following people:

Current Rank
#1,889
Peak Rank
#276 (1935)
Total Babies
21K
5-Yr Trend
+9%
👧 Girl peak #1,954 (2K total)
👦 Boy peak #276 (21K total)
👦As Boy Name
1884
First Year
2026
Last Year
1935
Peak Year
#276
Peak Rank
21K
Total Count
133
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1915
First Year
2026
Last Year
1991
Peak Year
#1954
Peak Rank
2K
Total Count
102
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Marlin

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

Marlin may refer to the following people:

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

The Story of Marlin

As a girl name

Marlin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1915, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 42 Marlins were born — ranking #2,790 that year. As of 2026, Marlin ranks #7,821 for girls with 13 births, gradually rising (+14%). In total, more than 2K Marlins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Marlin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1884, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1935, when 386 Marlins were born — ranking #276 that year. As of 2026, Marlin ranks #1,889 for boys with 86 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 21K Marlins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

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
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Marlin

Phonetically similar names — useful when Marlin 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 Marlin

What does the name Marlin mean?
Marlin may refer to the following people:
How popular is Marlin in 2026?
In 2026, Marlin ranks #1,889 among boys' names in the U.S., with 86 babies given the name that year.
When was Marlin most popular?
Marlin reached its peak popularity in 1935, ranking #276 that year with 386 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Marlin most popular?
Marlin has historically been most popular in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Marlin.
Is Marlin a unisex name?
Yes — Marlin is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 7% of Marlins assigned female and 93% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Marlin?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Marlin include Alphonse, Herschel, Denis. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Marlin

Marlin is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 21K births in the dataset. Marlin's peak popularity came in 1935 when it ranked #276. Use the chart and map above to compare Marlin'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.