Unisex name · since 1908
Merlyn
Merlyn has 3,410 recorded births since 1908 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1930 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,327 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #10,752 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,410
- born since 1908
- 1930s
- peak decade
Yes -- Merlyn is the #10752 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 3,410 recorded since 1908.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merlyn has been recorded 3,410 times among boys since 1908, currently ranked #10752 nationally and more common than 23% 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 1908 to 2025.
- #2,327 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #10,752 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,410 born since 1908
- 1930s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merlyn ranks #2,327 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #10,752 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,410 born since 1908, peaking in the 1930s.
- #2,327 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #10,752 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,410
- born since 1908
- 1930s
- peak decade
Merlyn's 3,410 recorded births place it above 94.88% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
15 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Iowa.
How Merlyn compares
3,410 Top 16% higher than 84% 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
Merlyn's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Merlyn | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,410 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 137 | 34 | 22,252 |
Merlyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Merlyn splits its recorded history at 1954: 13% of all births land in the more recent half, 87% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1908 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1930 peak of 137 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Merlyn popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1908–2025
- Peak year (1930)
- 137
- Annual births at peak, across 118 years of records
Merlyn popularity over time - girls
1,635 total births recorded since 1912 (Merlyn as girls' name)
Merlyn by decade
1930s is the heaviest window (1,095 births, 32% of the file).
1930s was Merlyn's strongest decade.
1,095 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Merlyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 286
1910s
286 births
- 1920s
1920s
812 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,095 births
- 1940s
1940s
597 births
- 1950s 301
1950s
301 births
- 1960s 128
1960s
128 births
- 1970s 48
1970s
48 births
- 1980s 23
1980s
23 births
- 1990s 32
1990s
32 births
- 2000s 25
2000s
25 births
- 2010s 34
2010s
34 births
- 2020s 24
2020s
24 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 1,095 births (32% of all-time use).
How Merlyn 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 Merlyn's total volume
Merlyn by state
Where Merlyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1908
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Iowa | | 552 | 16.2% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 377 | 11.1% |
| #3 | Wisconsin | | 218 | 6.4% |
| #4 | South Dakota | | 174 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Nebraska | | 158 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 62 | 1.8% |
| #7 | Kansas | | 47 | 1.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 44 | 1.3% |
552 of 3,410 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
Merlyn appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merlyn? ▼
Where does Merlyn sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Merlyn most popular? ▼
Where is Merlyn most popular? ▼
Is Merlyn a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Merlyn been used? ▼
What names are similar to Merlyn? ▼
What to do with Merlyn's data
- Merlyn's decade-level peak was the 1930s (1,095 total births); usage has since declined to 24 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Iowa records the most Merlyns (552 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Iowa names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Merlyn
Nearby Names Like Merlyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merlyn
Compare Merlyn side by side: Merlyn vs Merle Merlyn vs Merlin Merlyn vs Merrill
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Merlyn
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Merlyn: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1930)
Similar record span (~117 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, 1908–2025 (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 Merlyn 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.