Merlin vs Olivia

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

Name A

Merlin

Boy name · Rank #2075

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Name B

Olivia

Girl name · Rank #1

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Which name is more popular?

Metric Merlin Olivia
Current Rank #2075 #1
Total Births (all years) 14,987 553,664
Peak Year 1927 2014
Peak Year Births 389 19,836
Peak Decade 1920ss 2010ss
Gender Boy Girl
First Recorded Year 1885 1880

Births by Decade

Decade Merlin Olivia
1880ss 14 618
1890ss 42 1,099
1900ss 145 1,575
1910ss 1,492 3,545
1920ss 3,322 4,982
1930ss 2,963 3,922
1940ss 2,060 7,201
1950ss 1,574 6,100
1960ss 894 4,015
1970ss 533 7,849
1980ss 407 14,061
1990ss 391 75,913
2000ss 442 156,048
2010ss 403 184,528
2020ss 305 82,208

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Merlin Olivia
2014 34 19,836
2015 35 19,726
2016 40 19,409
2017 54 18,777
2018 57 18,055
2019 53 18,569
2020 52 17,682
2021 70 17,841
2022 49 16,654
2023 62 15,313
2024 72 14,718

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.

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