Merlin*
#923 most common boys' name of all time · #2,123 across all names · 94% male / 6% female · used 1885–2025 · notable crossover
Rank among boys
#923
Rank overall
#2,123 of 105,966
First appeared
1885
Years on the list
134 of 146
All-time
15,968
Since 2016
696
Peak year
1927 #288
Best rank
#288 1927
Girls
Boys
peak 405/yr
Merlin first appears in 1885. That's the first year it was given to at least 5 US babies, which is the threshold below which the SSA withholds a name.
Year by year
| Year | Girls | Boys | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 | 59 | 73 | #2,336 |
| 2024 | 13 | 73 | 86 | #2,063 |
| 2023 | 13 | 62 | 75 | #2,279 |
| 2022 | 11 | 49 | 60 | #2,677 |
| 2021 | 12 | 70 | 82 | #2,083 |
| 2020 | 17 | 52 | 69 | #2,471 |
| 2019 | 10 | 53 | 63 | #2,495 |
| 2018 | 12 | 57 | 69 | #2,327 |
| 2017 | 14 | 54 | 68 | #2,390 |
| 2016 | 11 | 40 | 51 | #2,938 |
| 2015 | 12 | 35 | 47 | #3,234 |
| 2014 | 12 | 34 | 46 | #3,238 |
| 2013 | 8 | 37 | 45 | #2,999 |
| 2012 | 15 | 39 | 54 | #2,957 |
| 2011 | 12 | 31 | 43 | #3,437 |
| 2010 | 15 | 24 | 39 | #4,112 |
| 2009 | 17 | 40 | 57 | #2,951 |
| 2008 | 26 | 40 | 66 | #2,952 |
| 2007 | 25 | 43 | 68 | #2,770 |
| 2006 | 22 | 49 | 71 | #2,479 |
| 2005 | 18 | 37 | 55 | #2,850 |
| 2004 | 12 | 46 | 58 | #2,424 |
| 2003 | 30 | 44 | 74 | #2,394 |
| 2002 | 15 | 43 | 58 | #2,375 |
| 2001 | 14 | 54 | 68 | #1,985 |
| 2000 | 12 | 47 | 59 | #2,138 |
| 1999 | 5 | 49 | 54 | #1,971 |
| 1998 | 10 | 45 | 55 | #2,071 |
| 1997 | 7 | 30 | 37 | #2,619 |
| 1996 | 14 | 39 | 53 | #2,152 |
| 1995 | 19 | 40 | 59 | #2,062 |
| 1994 | 18 | 28 | 46 | #2,626 |
| 1993 | 6 | 41 | 47 | #1,974 |
| 1992 | 19 | 33 | 52 | #2,261 |
| 1991 | 11 | 42 | 53 | #1,870 |
| 1990 | 10 | 44 | 54 | #1,787 |
| 1989 | 8 | 27 | 35 | #2,424 |
| 1988 | — | 49 | 49 | #1,517 |
| 1987 | 6 | 39 | 45 | #1,716 |
| 1986 | — | 34 | 34 | #1,796 |
| 1985 | — | 44 | 44 | #1,507 |
| 1984 | — | 39 | 39 | #1,560 |
| 1983 | 7 | 40 | 47 | #1,519 |
| 1982 | 5 | 45 | 50 | #1,418 |
| 1981 | — | 42 | 42 | #1,481 |
| 1980 | 6 | 48 | 54 | #1,360 |
| 1979 | — | 45 | 45 | #1,393 |
| 1978 | — | 48 | 48 | #1,307 |
| 1977 | — | 48 | 48 | #1,294 |
| 1976 | — | 53 | 53 | #1,183 |
| 1975 | — | 48 | 48 | #1,232 |
| 1974 | — | 57 | 57 | #1,094 |
| 1973 | 5 | 50 | 55 | #1,169 |
| 1972 | 6 | 71 | 77 | #961 |
| 1971 | — | 65 | 65 | #1,011 |
| 1970 | — | 48 | 48 | #1,197 |
| 1969 | — | 74 | 74 | #888 |
| 1968 | — | 65 | 65 | #894 |
| 1967 | — | 73 | 73 | #840 |
| 1966 | 9 | 87 | 96 | #781 |
| 1965 | — | 81 | 81 | #825 |
| 1964 | 5 | 95 | 100 | #778 |
| 1963 | — | 108 | 108 | #748 |
| 1962 | — | 96 | 96 | #776 |
| 1961 | — | 110 | 110 | #738 |
| 1960 | — | 105 | 105 | #754 |
| 1959 | — | 130 | 130 | #670 |
| 1958 | 5 | 156 | 161 | #615 |
| 1957 | 5 | 147 | 152 | #636 |
| 1956 | 5 | 150 | 155 | #622 |
| 1955 | 6 | 175 | 181 | #557 |
| 1954 | 8 | 151 | 159 | #603 |
| 1953 | — | 158 | 158 | #567 |
| 1952 | 6 | 156 | 162 | #561 |
| 1951 | — | 176 | 176 | #515 |
| 1950 | — | 175 | 175 | #508 |
| 1949 | 5 | 150 | 155 | #545 |
| 1948 | 12 | 155 | 167 | #534 |
| 1947 | 11 | 163 | 174 | #530 |
| 1946 | 7 | 207 | 214 | #443 |
| 1945 | 7 | 187 | 194 | #437 |
| 1944 | — | 208 | 208 | #421 |
| 1943 | 5 | 266 | 271 | #375 |
| 1942 | 8 | 217 | 225 | #419 |
| 1941 | 6 | 258 | 264 | #364 |
| 1940 | 7 | 249 | 256 | #364 |
| 1939 | 9 | 245 | 254 | #361 |
| 1938 | — | 284 | 284 | #332 |
| 1937 | — | 257 | 257 | #340 |
| 1936 | 15 | 274 | 289 | #330 |
| 1935 | 11 | 308 | 319 | #310 |
| 1934 | 6 | 283 | 289 | #323 |
| 1933 | 9 | 302 | 311 | #307 |
| 1932 | 10 | 314 | 324 | #309 |
| 1931 | 15 | 363 | 378 | #291 |
| 1930 | 5 | 333 | 338 | #311 |
| 1929 | 12 | 328 | 340 | #305 |
| 1928 | 7 | 307 | 314 | #320 |
| 1927 | 16 | 389 | 405 | #288 |
| 1926 | 14 | 368 | 382 | #297 |
| 1925 | 16 | 343 | 359 | #308 |
| 1924 | 10 | 337 | 347 | #312 |
| 1923 | 10 | 266 | 276 | #366 |
| 1922 | 10 | 328 | 338 | #316 |
| 1921 | 11 | 342 | 353 | #315 |
| 1920 | 7 | 314 | 321 | #328 |
| 1919 | 8 | 251 | 259 | #365 |
| 1918 | 12 | 268 | 280 | #355 |
| 1917 | 12 | 230 | 242 | #370 |
| 1916 | 11 | 220 | 231 | #369 |
| 1915 | — | 179 | 179 | #402 |
| 1914 | — | 127 | 127 | #427 |
| 1913 | — | 85 | 85 | #471 |
| 1912 | 6 | 76 | 82 | #455 |
| 1911 | — | 33 | 33 | #523 |
| 1910 | — | 23 | 23 | #616 |
| 1909 | — | 20 | 20 | #614 |
| 1908 | — | 30 | 30 | #447 |
| 1907 | — | 21 | 21 | #538 |
| 1906 | — | 12 | 12 | #748 |
| 1905 | — | 10 | 10 | #827 |
| 1904 | — | 14 | 14 | #641 |
| 1903 | — | 9 | 9 | #837 |
| 1902 | — | 14 | 14 | #613 |
| 1901 | 6 | 7 | 13 | #918 |
| 1900 | — | 8 | 8 | #1,028 |
| 1899 | — | 8 | 8 | #848 |
| 1898 | — | 7 | 7 | #976 |
| 1896 | — | 6 | 6 | #1,065 |
| 1895 | — | 10 | 10 | #732 |
| 1891 | — | 6 | 6 | #942 |
| 1890 | — | 5 | 5 | #1,117 |
| 1887 | — | 8 | 8 | #747 |
| 1885 | — | 6 | 6 | #926 |