Merlin
#7,491 for girls in 2025, 14 births · #2,332 for boys in 2025, 59 births
Given to boys 94.2% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1927 · 389 births
- Debut · boys
- 6 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 15,049since 1885
Merlin over time
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #7,491 | 14 | #2,332 | 59 |
| 2024 | #7,967 | 13 | #2,057 | 73 |
| 2023 | #8,055 | 13 | #2,277 | 62 |
| 2022 | #9,056 | 11 | #2,675 | 49 |
| 2021 | #8,464 | 12 | #2,079 | 70 |
| 2020 | #6,629 | 17 | #2,467 | 52 |
| 2019 | #9,736 | 10 | #2,491 | 53 |
| 2018 | #8,617 | 12 | #2,325 | 57 |
| 2017 | #7,840 | 14 | #2,388 | 54 |
| 2016 | #9,411 | 11 | #2,935 | 40 |
| 2015 | #8,931 | 12 | #3,231 | 35 |
| 2014 | #8,966 | 12 | #3,234 | 34 |
| 2013 | #11,969 | 8 | #2,998 | 37 |
| 2012 | #7,804 | 15 | #2,954 | 39 |
| 2011 | #9,150 | 12 | #3,434 | 31 |
| 2010 | #7,880 | 15 | #4,099 | 24 |
| 2009 | #7,341 | 17 | #2,946 | 40 |
| 2008 | #5,434 | 26 | #2,946 | 40 |
| 2007 | #5,526 | 25 | #2,765 | 43 |
| 2006 | #5,906 | 22 | #2,477 | 49 |
| 2005 | #6,528 | 18 | #2,846 | 37 |
| 2004 | #8,716 | 12 | #2,419 | 46 |
| 2003 | #4,307 | 30 | #2,392 | 44 |
| 2002 | #7,045 | 15 | #2,372 | 43 |
| 2001 | #7,317 | 14 | #1,982 | 54 |
| 2000 | #8,027 | 12 | #2,136 | 47 |
| 1999 | #14,411 | 5 | #1,966 | 49 |
| 1998 | #8,584 | 10 | #2,068 | 45 |
| 1997 | #10,836 | 7 | #2,613 | 30 |
| 1996 | #6,392 | 14 | #2,145 | 39 |
| 1995 | #5,019 | 19 | #2,055 | 40 |
| 1994 | #5,249 | 18 | #2,618 | 28 |
| 1993 | #11,780 | 6 | #1,969 | 41 |
| 1992 | #5,051 | 19 | #2,253 | 33 |
| 1991 | #7,430 | 11 | #1,867 | 42 |
| 1990 | #7,880 | 10 | #1,780 | 44 |
| 1989 | #8,761 | 8 | #2,416 | 27 |
| 1988 | — | #1,514 | 49 | |
| 1987 | #9,825 | 6 | #1,709 | 39 |
| 1986 | — | #1,791 | 34 | |
| 1985 | — | #1,504 | 44 | |
| 1984 | — | #1,556 | 39 | |
| 1983 | #8,047 | 7 | #1,516 | 40 |
| 1982 | #10,517 | 5 | #1,415 | 45 |
| 1981 | — | #1,479 | 42 | |
| 1980 | #9,095 | 6 | #1,357 | 48 |
| 1979 | — | #1,390 | 45 | |
| 1978 | — | #1,299 | 48 | |
| 1977 | — | #1,289 | 48 | |
| 1976 | — | #1,179 | 53 | |
| 1975 | — | #1,228 | 48 | |
| 1974 | — | #1,091 | 57 | |
| 1973 | #8,423 | 5 | #1,163 | 50 |
| 1972 | #7,292 | 6 | #960 | 71 |
| 1971 | — | #1,007 | 65 | |
| 1970 | — | #1,192 | 48 | |
| 1969 | — | #885 | 74 | |
| 1968 | — | #893 | 65 | |
| 1967 | — | #836 | 73 | |
| 1966 | #4,493 | 9 | #778 | 87 |
| 1965 | — | #820 | 81 | |
| 1964 | #6,767 | 5 | #774 | 95 |
| 1963 | — | #746 | 108 | |
| 1962 | — | #776 | 96 | |
| 1961 | — | #735 | 110 | |
| 1960 | — | #752 | 105 | |
| 1959 | — | #669 | 130 | |
| 1958 | #6,103 | 5 | #615 | 156 |
| 1957 | #6,086 | 5 | #634 | 147 |
| 1956 | #5,952 | 5 | #622 | 150 |
| 1955 | #5,208 | 6 | #555 | 175 |
| 1954 | #4,278 | 8 | #600 | 151 |
| 1953 | — | #567 | 158 | |
| 1952 | #4,908 | 6 | #559 | 156 |
| 1951 | — | #514 | 176 | |
| 1950 | — | #506 | 175 | |
| 1949 | #5,244 | 5 | #544 | 150 |
| 1948 | #2,974 | 12 | #532 | 155 |
| 1947 | #3,240 | 11 | #529 | 163 |
| 1946 | #3,994 | 7 | #442 | 207 |
| 1945 | #3,676 | 7 | #437 | 187 |
| 1944 | — | #419 | 208 | |
| 1943 | #4,691 | 5 | #375 | 266 |
| 1942 | #3,444 | 8 | #418 | 217 |
| 1941 | #3,954 | 6 | #364 | 258 |
| 1940 | #3,503 | 7 | #364 | 249 |
| 1939 | #2,922 | 9 | #358 | 245 |
| 1938 | — | #331 | 284 | |
| 1937 | — | #339 | 257 | |
| 1936 | #2,032 | 15 | #329 | 274 |
| 1935 | #2,575 | 11 | #310 | 308 |
| 1934 | #3,802 | 6 | #323 | 283 |
| 1933 | #2,868 | 9 | #307 | 302 |
| 1932 | #2,831 | 10 | #309 | 314 |
| 1931 | #2,105 | 15 | #291 | 363 |
| 1930 | #4,550 | 5 | #311 | 333 |
| 1929 | #2,587 | 12 | #305 | 328 |
| 1928 | #3,743 | 7 | #320 | 307 |
| 1927 | #2,256 | 16 | #287 | 389 |
| 1926 | #2,474 | 14 | #296 | 368 |
| 1925 | #2,283 | 16 | #307 | 343 |
| 1924 | #3,144 | 10 | #312 | 337 |
| 1923 | #3,125 | 10 | #365 | 266 |
| 1922 | #3,152 | 10 | #316 | 328 |
| 1921 | #2,941 | 11 | #315 | 342 |
| 1920 | #3,957 | 7 | #327 | 314 |
| 1919 | #3,452 | 8 | #365 | 251 |
| 1918 | #2,674 | 12 | #355 | 268 |
| 1917 | #2,552 | 12 | #368 | 230 |
| 1916 | #2,658 | 11 | #369 | 220 |
| 1915 | — | #402 | 179 | |
| 1914 | — | #425 | 127 | |
| 1913 | — | #465 | 85 | |
| 1912 | #2,634 | 6 | #450 | 76 |
| 1911 | — | #514 | 33 | |
| 1910 | — | #598 | 23 | |
| 1909 | — | #590 | 20 | |
| 1908 | — | #438 | 30 | |
| 1907 | — | #511 | 21 | |
| 1906 | — | #709 | 12 | |
| 1905 | — | #786 | 10 | |
| 1904 | — | #612 | 14 | |
| 1903 | — | #783 | 9 | |
| 1902 | — | #583 | 14 | |
| 1901 | #1,466 | 6 | #858 | 7 |
| 1900 | — | #968 | 8 | |
| 1899 | — | #786 | 8 | |
| 1898 | — | #885 | 7 | |
| 1897 | — | — | ||
| 1896 | — | #982 | 6 | |
| 1895 | — | #685 | 10 | |
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | #841 | 6 | |
| 1890 | — | #994 | 5 | |
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | #679 | 8 | |
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | #836 | 6 | |
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five boys were named Merlin! It came in at #836, and was given to 6 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1886, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.
See more about Merlin
- 275 spots since 2024 (#2,057 → #2,332)
- 135 spots since 2020 (#2,467 → #2,332)
- 899 spots since 2015 (#3,231 → #2,332)
- Biggest jump: 275 spots in 1902 (#858 → #583)
- Biggest drop: 307 spots in 1970 (#885 → #1,192)
- Debuted 1885
- Peaked 1927 at #287 (389 births)
- Births halved by 1945, 18 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 79 yrs · run 1898–1969
- Highest: 1 in 2,864 boys born in 1931 were named Merlin (0.03%)
- Latest: 1 in 28,950 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
- Its best rank, #287 in 1927, was only 1 in 2,897 (0.03%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 22.1% of all boys named Merlin (3,322) were born in this decade
- The majority has never changed
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 14 | #679 (1887) | #758 |
| 1890s | 42 | #685 (1895) | #862 |
| 1900s | 145 | #438 (1908) | #684 |
| 1910s | 1,492 | #355 (1918) | #431 |
| 1920s | 3,322 | #287 (1927) | #315 |
| 1930s | 2,963 | #291 (1931) | #321 |
| 1940s | 2,060 | #364 (1941) | #442 |
| 1950s | 1,574 | #506 (1950) | #584 |
| 1960s | 894 | #735 (1961) | #800 |
| 1970s | 533 | #960 (1972) | #1,180 |
| 1980s | 407 | #1,357 (1980) | #1,626 |
| 1990s | 391 | #1,780 (1990) | #2,133 |
| 2000s | 443 | #1,982 (2001) | #2,528 |
| 2010s | 404 | #2,325 (2018) | #3,009 |
| 2020s | 365 | #2,057 (2024) | #2,315 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Merlin in 1940
Top girls' names in 1940
Top boys' names in 1940
More about 1940
girls
1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 163,361 of them was named Merlin, which outranked 30.3% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #3,208Zane8
- #3,208Zela8
- #3,208Zondra8
- #3,503Merlin7
- #3,503Adean7
- #3,503Agapita7
- #3,503Aleatha7
- #3,863Adina6
- #3,863Adra6
- #3,863Adrain6
Tied with 359 names at #3,503; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,159,172 boys got a published name in 1940; 1 in 4,655 of them was named Merlin, which outranked 90.8% of the 3,937 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.