Merlin
Merlin is a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
- Arthurian Cycle
- English
Meaning & Origin of Merlin
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Merlin is a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Arthurian Cycle
- English
The Story of Merlin
As a girl name
American parents first put Merlin on the record books as a girl name in 1901, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 30 Merlins were born — ranking #4,307 that year. About 21% of every Merlin on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Merlin ranks #8,201 for girls with 12 births, gradually falling (-6%). All told, over 928 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Merlin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1885, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1927: 389 births, good for #287 nationwide. About 22% of every Merlin on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Merlin ranks #2,110 for boys with 71 births, gradually rising (+13%). All told, over 15K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Merlin
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Merlin. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Merlin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Merlin 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 Merlin
What does the name Merlin mean?
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How popular is Merlin in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Merlin most popular?
Is Merlin a unisex name?
What names go well with Merlin?
What are nicknames or variants of Merlin?
About the name Merlin
Merlin is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1885 and has accumulated 15K births in the dataset. Merlin's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #287. Use the chart and map above to compare Merlin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1927 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.