Is Merlin a boy or girl name?
Merlin is mostly a boy name in the US. In 2024, 13 girls and 72 boys were named Merlin, so 15.3% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 5.7% of the 15,891 US babies named Merlin were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #2,083
- Girl rank, 2024
- #8,241
- Babies named Merlin since 1885
- 15,891
- Most popular year
- 1927
- 405 babies
Boys and girls named Merlin, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 14 | 0 | 0% |
| 1890s | 42 | 0 | 0% |
| 1900s | 145 | 6 | 4% |
| 1910s | 1,492 | 49 | 3.2% |
| 1920s | 3,322 | 113 | 3.3% |
| 1930s | 2,963 | 80 | 2.6% |
| 1940s | 2,060 | 68 | 3.2% |
| 1950s | 1,574 | 35 | 2.2% |
| 1960s | 894 | 14 | 1.5% |
| 1970s | 533 | 11 | 2% |
| 1980s | 407 | 32 | 7.3% |
| 1990s | 391 | 118 | 23.2% |
| 2000s | 442 | 191 | 30.2% |
| 2010s | 403 | 121 | 23.1% |
| 2020s | 305 | 66 | 17.8% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 72 | #2,083 | 13 | #8,241 |
| 2023 | 62 | #2,284 | 13 | #8,335 |
| 2022 | 49 | #2,701 | 11 | #9,444 |
| 2021 | 70 | #2,092 | 12 | #8,809 |
| 2020 | 52 | #2,492 | 17 | #6,822 |
| 2019 | 53 | #2,513 | 10 | #10,238 |
| 2018 | 57 | #2,346 | 12 | #8,984 |
| 2017 | 54 | #2,407 | 14 | #8,140 |
| 2016 | 40 | #2,967 | 11 | #9,864 |
| 2015 | 35 | #3,284 | 12 | #9,320 |
| 2014 | 34 | #3,283 | 12 | #9,353 |
| 2013 | 37 | #3,035 | 8 | #12,777 |
| 2012 | 39 | #2,989 | 15 | #8,078 |
| 2011 | 31 | #3,489 | 12 | #9,539 |
| 2010 | 23 | #4,319 | 15 | #8,168 |
| 2009 | 40 | #2,975 | 17 | #7,572 |
| 2008 | 40 | #2,986 | 26 | #5,532 |
| 2007 | 43 | #2,793 | 25 | #5,640 |
| 2006 | 49 | #2,500 | 22 | #6,062 |
| 2005 | 37 | #2,883 | 18 | #6,732 |
| 2004 | 45 | #2,471 | 12 | #9,081 |
| 2003 | 44 | #2,415 | 30 | #4,382 |
| 2002 | 43 | #2,398 | 15 | #7,318 |
| 2001 | 54 | #1,998 | 14 | #7,602 |
| 2000 | 47 | #2,162 | 12 | #8,378 |
| 1999 | 49 | #1,983 | 5 | #16,023 |
| 1998 | 45 | #2,084 | 10 | #9,047 |
| 1997 | 30 | #2,659 | 7 | #11,656 |
| 1996 | 39 | #2,168 | 13 | #7,006 |
| 1995 | 40 | #2,080 | 19 | #5,157 |
| 1994 | 28 | #2,663 | 18 | #5,385 |
| 1993 | 41 | #1,990 | 6 | #12,874 |
| 1992 | 33 | #2,285 | 19 | #5,195 |
| 1991 | 42 | #1,881 | 11 | #7,775 |
| 1990 | 44 | #1,800 | 10 | #8,293 |
| 1989 | 27 | #2,447 | 8 | #9,333 |
| 1988 | 49 | #1,518 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 39 | #1,724 | 6 | #10,752 |
| 1986 | 34 | #1,824 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 44 | #1,519 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 39 | #1,568 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 40 | #1,525 | 7 | #8,649 |
| 1982 | 45 | #1,432 | 5 | #11,631 |
| 1981 | 42 | #1,491 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 48 | #1,368 | 6 | #9,883 |
| 1979 | 45 | #1,403 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 48 | #1,318 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 48 | #1,307 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 53 | #1,185 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 48 | #1,237 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 57 | #1,096 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 50 | #1,171 | 5 | #9,273 |
| 1972 | 71 | #966 | 6 | #7,889 |
| 1971 | 65 | #1,013 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 48 | #1,201 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 74 | #891 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 65 | #895 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 73 | #838 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 87 | #782 | 9 | #4,742 |
| 1965 | 81 | #824 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 95 | #777 | 5 | #7,453 |
| 1963 | 109 | #744 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 95 | #784 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 110 | #738 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 105 | #755 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 130 | #669 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 156 | #617 | 5 | #6,708 |
| 1957 | 147 | #636 | 5 | #6,731 |
| 1956 | 150 | #621 | 5 | #6,576 |
| 1955 | 175 | #558 | 6 | #5,637 |
| 1954 | 151 | #602 | 8 | #4,538 |
| 1953 | 158 | #568 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 156 | #562 | 6 | #5,345 |
| 1951 | 176 | #514 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 175 | #507 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 150 | #546 | 5 | #5,779 |
| 1948 | 155 | #534 | 12 | #3,083 |
| 1947 | 163 | #530 | 11 | #3,384 |
| 1946 | 207 | #442 | 7 | #4,285 |
| 1945 | 187 | #437 | 7 | #3,910 |
| 1944 | 208 | #420 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 266 | #375 | 5 | #5,139 |
| 1942 | 217 | #419 | 8 | #3,636 |
| 1941 | 258 | #364 | 6 | #4,276 |
| 1940 | 249 | #364 | 7 | #3,741 |
| 1939 | 245 | #359 | 9 | #3,075 |
| 1938 | 284 | #332 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 257 | #339 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 274 | #329 | 15 | #2,116 |
| 1935 | 308 | #310 | 11 | #2,680 |
| 1934 | 283 | #323 | 6 | #4,143 |
| 1933 | 302 | #307 | 9 | #3,048 |
| 1932 | 314 | #309 | 10 | #2,976 |
| 1931 | 363 | #291 | 15 | #2,173 |
| 1930 | 333 | #311 | 5 | #5,030 |
| 1929 | 328 | #305 | 12 | #2,685 |
| 1928 | 307 | #320 | 7 | #4,048 |
| 1927 | 389 | #288 | 16 | #2,311 |
| 1926 | 368 | #296 | 14 | #2,542 |
| 1925 | 343 | #307 | 16 | #2,353 |
| 1924 | 337 | #312 | 10 | #3,298 |
| 1923 | 266 | #366 | 10 | #3,286 |
| 1922 | 328 | #316 | 10 | #3,298 |
| 1921 | 342 | #315 | 11 | #3,092 |
| 1920 | 314 | #328 | 7 | #4,271 |
| 1919 | 251 | #365 | 8 | #3,696 |
| 1918 | 268 | #355 | 12 | #2,780 |
| 1917 | 230 | #369 | 12 | #2,654 |
| 1916 | 220 | #369 | 11 | #2,772 |
| 1915 | 179 | #402 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 127 | #426 | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 85 | #470 | 0 | – |
| 1912 | 76 | #454 | 6 | #2,860 |
| 1911 | 33 | #519 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 23 | #612 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 20 | #604 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 30 | #446 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 21 | #528 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 12 | #739 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 10 | #825 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 14 | #635 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 9 | #824 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 14 | #604 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 7 | #915 | 6 | #1,608 |
| 1900 | 8 | #1,019 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 8 | #837 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 7 | #958 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 6 | #1,063 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 10 | #730 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1891 | 6 | #920 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 5 | #1,106 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1887 | 8 | #722 | 0 | – |
| 1886 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1885 | 6 | #898 | 0 | – |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Merlin reached #288 in 1927. As a girl name, it reached #1,608 in 1901. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1920s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Merlin
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.