Total births
21,172
Unisex name · since 1884
Marlin
Marlin has 21,172 recorded births since 1884 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1935 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1905
- among boys today
- 21,172
- born since 1884
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Marlin currently ranks #1905 among unisex names in America, with 21,172 babies recorded since 1884.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marlin has been recorded 21,172 times among boys since 1884, currently ranked #1905 nationally and more common than 87% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1930s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2025.
- #1905 among boys today
- 21,172 born since 1884
- 1930s peak decade
- 87% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marlin is currently the #1905 unisex name in America, more common than 87% of boys - 21,172 born since 1884, peaking in the 1930s.
- #1905
- among boys today
- 21,172
- born since 1884
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Marlin vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1905
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 87% of names given to boys today.
1930s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Marlin was born in this single decade.
1935
Single peak year
386 babies were named Marlin in 1935 - its busiest year on record.
How Marlin compares
21,172 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Marlin's all-time total is 58x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marlin | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 21,172 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 386 | 23 | 22,252 |
Marlin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Marlin splits its recorded history at 1960: 39% of all births land in the more recent half, 61% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1884 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1935 peak of 386 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Marlin at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1935
Current rank
#1,905
Active since
1884
Marlin popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (1935)
- 386
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Marlin popularity over time - girls
1,662 total births recorded since 1915 (Marlin as girls' name)
Marlin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Marlin's strongest decade.
3,409 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Marlin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1890s 36
1890s
36 births
- 1900s 124
1900s
124 births
- 1910s 1,111
1910s
1,111 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,308 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,409 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,013 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,882 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,092 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,838 births
- 1980s 1,125
1980s
1,125 births
- 1990s 1,094
1990s
1,094 births
- 2000s 878
2000s
878 births
- 2010s 779
2010s
779 births
- 2020s 477
2020s
477 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 3,409 births (16% of all-time use).
How Marlin compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Marlin's total volume
Marlin vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Marlin by state
Where Marlin concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 3,726 | 17.6% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 1,212 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,157 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Minnesota | | 854 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Indiana | | 809 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Iowa | | 786 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 667 | 3.2% |
| #8 | California | | 658 | 3.1% |
Pennsylvania share of Marlin's total US births 17.6%
Even split
3,726 of 21,172 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 39 reporting states.
Marlin appears in 39 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marlin? ▼
Since 1884, Social Security records show 21,172 babies named Marlin. Today it holds rank #1905 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1935, with 386 births.
When was Marlin most popular? ▼
Marlin was most popular in the 1930s decade with 3,409 total births. The single peak year was 1935.
Where is Marlin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marlin are Pennsylvania (3,726 births), Ohio (1,212 births), Texas (1,157 births).
Is Marlin a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Marlin is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 21,172 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,662 births.
How long has the name Marlin been used? ▼
Records for Marlin go back to 1884, giving 142 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Marlin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mark, Martin, Marvin, Marcus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Marlin's data
- Marlin's decade-level peak was the 1930s (3,409 total births); usage has since declined to 477 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Marlins (3,726 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Marlin
Nearby Names Like Marlin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marlin
Mark Boy
#244 1,362,176 births
Martin Boy
#307 315,561 births
Marvin Boy
#671 254,192 births
Marcus Boy
#256 241,657 births
Mario Boy
#398 151,310 births
Compare Marlin side by side: Marlin vs Mark Marlin vs Martin Marlin vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marlin
Roderick #1904
47,183 births · Peak 1971
Carmen #1906
16,961 births · Peak 1924
Gene #1903
126,877 births · Peak 1937
Holt #1907
1,924 births · Peak 2019
Emile #1902
8,641 births · Peak 1922
Lando #1908
751 births · Peak 2025
Kassius #1901
1,187 births · Peak 2022
Wynn #1909
2,631 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1884–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marlin: #1905 Unisex Name - 21,172 Births, Peak 1935." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marlin. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Marlin draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.