Merlin vs Merle

Side-by-side comparison of Merlin and Merle — popularity rank, total births, peak decade, and historical trends from Social Security Administration data.

Name A

Merlin

Boy name · Rank #2075

Full profile →
Name B

Merle

Boy name · Rank #4555

Full profile →

Which name is more popular?

Metric Merlin Merle
Current Rank #2075 #4555
Total Births (all years) 14,987 30,630
Peak Year 1927 1925
Peak Year Births 389 836
Peak Decade 1920ss 1920ss
Gender Boy Boy
First Recorded Year 1885 1880

Births by Decade

Decade Merlin Merle
1880ss 14 207
1890ss 42 378
1900ss 145 651
1910ss 1,492 4,645
1920ss 3,322 7,970
1930ss 2,963 5,800
1940ss 2,060 4,187
1950ss 1,574 3,030
1960ss 894 1,503
1970ss 533 929
1980ss 407 502
1990ss 391 292
2000ss 442 214
2010ss 403 180
2020ss 305 142

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Merlin Merle
2014 34 15
2015 35 21
2016 40 14
2017 54 20
2018 57 23
2019 53 22
2020 52 32
2021 70 22
2022 49 27
2023 62 39
2024 72 22

Data Sources

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
Source: SSA Annual Name Rankings, 1885–2024.

← Compare different names