NameData
Name file · Boy · SSA 1880–2024
Merlin
Merlin is a boy's name.
▲ Risingthe Greatest Generation
14,987
Total named
59
Avg ageestimated
1927
Peak year
#2,075
Rank in 2024
Merlin peaked in 1927, when about 389 boys were given the name. Today it ranks 2,075th for boys, rising. Most people named Merlin today are around 59 years old (estimated) — squarely the Greatest Generation. In all, roughly 14,987 boys have been named Merlin since record-keeping began in 1885.

📈 Popularity over time

How many boys were named Merlin each year, 1880–2024.
Peak: 1927389 boys1900192019401960198020002020

♀ ♂ A shared name

Merlin is given to both girls and boys. Among everyone with this name:
6% girls
94% boys

↔ Names from the same era

Other boys' names that peaked around the same time as Merlin:
ArmandVitoHollisMaynardWilmerOdell
Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (public domain), 1880–2024. Average age is estimated from a survival curve, not actuarial tables.
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How we read a name

Every figure on this page comes from the U.S. Social Security Administration's public-domain record of names given to babies born in the United States from 1880 to 2024. The SSA only counts a name in a year if at least five babies received it.

Popularity & rank

The trajectory shows how many boys were named Merlin each year. The peak year is simply the year that count was highest, and the rank is where the name sat among all boys' names in 2024.

Estimated average age

We estimate the typical age of living people with this name by combining how many were born each year with a rough survival curve. It's a useful approximation for "how old does this name feel," not a precise actuarial figure — that's why we always label it estimated.

For general informational and entertainment purposes only. Counts reflect U.S. SSA card applications and may differ from total births. Figures are rounded.