NameTides

Merlin

Merlin was the #2,332 boys' name in the US in 2025 (59 babies), and #1,798 in England & Wales.

Merlin as a boy’s name

  • US
  • England & Wales
  • Canada
Merlin as a boy’s name, US, England & Wales, CanadaBabies per 1,000 in the published list, 1880–2025, for US, England & Wales, Canada. Gaps mark years with too few babies to be published.00.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020England & WalesUS
Merlin as a boy’s name, US, England & Wales, CanadaBabies per 1,000 in the published list, 1880–2025, for US, England & Wales, Canada. Gaps mark years with too few babies to be published.00.130.250.380.51880192019602000
Babies per 1,000 of the same sex in each published list. Breaks in a line are years with too few babies to be published.
Show the numbers
YearUSEngland & WalesCanada
2025#2,332 (59)#1,798 (14)—
2024#2,057 (73)#1,517 (17)—
2023#2,277 (62)#1,800 (13)#1,947 (9)
2022#2,675 (49)#1,084 (26)#2,052 (8)
2021#2,079 (70)#1,184 (23)—
2020#2,467 (52)#1,314 (19)#2,431 (6)
2019#2,491 (53)#1,217 (21)—
2018#2,325 (57)#1,455 (17)#2,403 (6)
2017#2,388 (54)#1,068 (27)#2,198 (7)
2016#2,935 (40)#2,335 (9)#2,718 (5)
2015#3,231 (35)#2,150 (10)—
2014#3,234 (34)#2,459 (8)—
2013#2,998 (37)#3,822 (4)—
2012#2,954 (39)#1,756 (13)#1,971 (8)
2011#3,434 (31)#2,039 (10)—

The tide so far

  • Peaked in the US in 1931 at #291.
  • Holding steady over the last five years.
  • First recorded in the US in 1885.
  • In 2025, 19% of US babies named Merlin were girls.

How common is it?

about 1 in 29,000 baby boys in the published US list for 2025.

In a group of 1,000 children born that year, you would expect to meet fewer than 1. How we work this out.

How common, country by country

WhereSexLatest yearShareVerdict
USBoys2025about 1 in 29,000rare
England & WalesBoys2025about 1 in 20,000rare

Next year

On its recent trend, Merlin is likely to keep rising in the US in 2026: about 1 in 27,000 baby boys. Likely range 1 in 19,000 to 1 in 38,000.

Estimate, not an official figure. How we estimate.

Across the US

Merlin by state, 2025Alaska: fewer than 5 babiesAKMaine: fewer than 5 babiesMEWisconsin: fewer than 5 babiesWIVermont: fewer than 5 babiesVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 babiesNHWashington: fewer than 5 babiesWAIdaho: fewer than 5 babiesIDMontana: fewer than 5 babiesMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 babiesNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 babiesMNIllinois: fewer than 5 babiesILMichigan: fewer than 5 babiesMINew York: fewer than 5 babiesNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 babiesMAOregon: fewer than 5 babiesORNevada: fewer than 5 babiesNVWyoming: fewer than 5 babiesWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 babiesSDIowa: fewer than 5 babiesIAIndiana: #773INOhio: fewer than 5 babiesOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 babiesPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 babiesNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 babiesCTRhode Island: fewer than 5 babiesRICalifornia: fewer than 5 babiesCAUtah: fewer than 5 babiesUTColorado: fewer than 5 babiesCONebraska: fewer than 5 babiesNEMissouri: fewer than 5 babiesMOKentucky: fewer than 5 babiesKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 babiesWVVirginia: fewer than 5 babiesVAMaryland: fewer than 5 babiesMDDelaware: fewer than 5 babiesDEArizona: fewer than 5 babiesAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 babiesNMKansas: fewer than 5 babiesKSArkansas: fewer than 5 babiesARTennessee: #927TNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 babiesNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 babiesSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 babiesDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 babiesOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 babiesLAMississippi: fewer than 5 babiesMSAlabama: fewer than 5 babiesALGeorgia: fewer than 5 babiesGAHawaii: fewer than 5 babiesHITexas: #2,285TXFlorida: fewer than 5 babiesFL
Merlin (boys) rank in each state, 2025. Hatched states recorded fewer than 5 babies.
  • #1–10
  • #11–50
  • #51–100
  • #101–500
  • below #500

Spellings

Official statistics count each spelling separately, so we show them side by side rather than adding them up.

SpellingWhereSexLatest rankBabies
MerlinCanadaBoys—too few
MerlinEngland & WalesBoys#1,79814
MerlinNorthern IrelandGirls—too few
MerlinNorthern IrelandBoys—too few
MerlinUSGirls#7,49114
MerlinUSBoys#2,33259