Unisex name · since 1885
Merlin
Merlin has 15,049 recorded births since 1885 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1927 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #969 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,336 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 15,049
- born since 1885
- 1920s
- peak decade
15,049 babies have been named Merlin since 1885, making it today's #2336 unisex name.
Merlin has 15,049 recorded births among boys since 1885, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2336 as of the latest data, more common than 83% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 2025.
- #969 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,336 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 15,049 born since 1885
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merlin ranks #969 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,336 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 15,049 born since 1885, peaking in the 1920s.
- #969 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,336 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 15,049
- born since 1885
- 1920s
- peak decade
Merlin's 15,049 recorded births place it above 97.86% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
34 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Wisconsin.
How Merlin compares
15,049 Top 7% higher than 93% of 13,930 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
Merlin's all-time total is 41x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Merlin | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 15,049 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 389 | 34 | 22,252 |
Merlin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Merlin's SSA record in two at 1959 and the more recent half accounts for 24% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 76%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1890, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1927 peak of 389, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Merlin popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (1927)
- 389
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Merlin popularity over time - girls
919 total births recorded since 1901 (Merlin as girls' name)
Merlin by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (3,322 births, 22% of the file).
1920s was Merlin's strongest decade.
3,322 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Merlin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 14
1880s
14 births
- 1890s 42
1890s
42 births
- 1900s 145
1900s
145 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,492 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,322 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,963 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,060 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,574 births
- 1960s 894
1960s
894 births
- 1970s 533
1970s
533 births
- 1980s 407
1980s
407 births
- 1990s 391
1990s
391 births
- 2000s 443
2000s
443 births
- 2010s 404
2010s
404 births
- 2020s 365
2020s
365 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,322 births (22% of all-time use).
How Merlin 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 Merlin's total volume
Merlin by state
Where Merlin concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Wisconsin | | 1,488 | 9.9% |
| #2 | Iowa | | 1,331 | 8.8% |
| #3 | Minnesota | | 877 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 866 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 653 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Nebraska | | 554 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 526 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Kansas | | 484 | 3.2% |
1,488 of 15,049 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Merlin appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merlin? ▼
Where does Merlin sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Merlin most popular? ▼
Where is Merlin most popular? ▼
Is Merlin a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Merlin been used? ▼
What names are similar to Merlin? ▼
What to do with Merlin's data
- Merlin's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,322 total births); usage has since declined to 365 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Wisconsin records the most Merlins (1,488 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Wisconsin names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Merlin
Nearby Names Like Merlin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merlin
Compare Merlin side by side: Merlin vs Merle Merlin vs Merrill Merlin vs Mervin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Merlin
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Merlin: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1927)
Similar record span (~140 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Merlin 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 August 2026.