Merlyn**
#1,724 most common boys' name of all time · #4,190 across all names · 68% male / 32% female · used 1908–2025 · genuinely unisex
Rank among boys
#1,724
Rank overall
#4,190 of 105,966
First appeared
1908
Years on the list
113 of 146
All-time
5,045
Since 2016
135
Peak year
1930 #509
Best rank
#509 1930
Girls
Boys
peak 159/yr
Merlyn first appears in 1908. 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 | 7 | 6 | 13 | #10,763 |
| 2024 | 5 | — | 5 | — |
| 2023 | 12 | — | 12 | — |
| 2022 | 11 | 7 | 18 | #9,880 |
| 2021 | 10 | 6 | 16 | #10,884 |
| 2020 | 12 | 5 | 17 | #12,114 |
| 2019 | 10 | 6 | 16 | #10,870 |
| 2018 | 9 | — | 9 | — |
| 2017 | 9 | 6 | 15 | #10,868 |
| 2016 | 8 | 6 | 14 | #10,816 |
| 2015 | 12 | — | 12 | — |
| 2014 | 9 | 5 | 14 | #12,210 |
| 2013 | 5 | 6 | 11 | #10,789 |
| 2012 | 8 | 5 | 13 | #12,354 |
| 2011 | 15 | — | 15 | — |
| 2010 | 15 | — | 15 | — |
| 2009 | 16 | 8 | 24 | #9,039 |
| 2008 | 23 | — | 23 | — |
| 2007 | 18 | — | 18 | — |
| 2006 | 15 | — | 15 | — |
| 2005 | 16 | — | 16 | — |
| 2004 | 16 | 7 | 23 | #9,007 |
| 2003 | 19 | — | 19 | — |
| 2002 | 10 | — | 10 | — |
| 2001 | 10 | — | 10 | — |
| 2000 | 13 | 10 | 23 | #6,365 |
| 1999 | 10 | 9 | 19 | #6,573 |
| 1998 | 17 | — | 17 | — |
| 1997 | 14 | 5 | 19 | #9,354 |
| 1996 | 6 | — | 6 | — |
| 1995 | 12 | — | 12 | — |
| 1994 | 14 | — | 14 | — |
| 1993 | 14 | 6 | 20 | #7,728 |
| 1992 | 12 | — | 12 | — |
| 1991 | 7 | 7 | 14 | #6,585 |
| 1990 | 7 | 5 | 12 | #8,252 |
| 1989 | 9 | — | 9 | — |
| 1988 | 13 | 5 | 18 | #7,384 |
| 1987 | 5 | 6 | 11 | #6,183 |
| 1986 | 6 | — | 6 | — |
| 1985 | 8 | — | 8 | — |
| 1984 | 9 | — | 9 | — |
| 1981 | 8 | — | 8 | — |
| 1980 | — | 12 | 12 | #3,473 |
| 1979 | 6 | 8 | 14 | #4,479 |
| 1978 | — | 6 | 6 | #5,157 |
| 1977 | 5 | 5 | 10 | #5,974 |
| 1976 | 5 | — | 5 | — |
| 1975 | — | 6 | 6 | #4,903 |
| 1974 | — | 8 | 8 | #3,911 |
| 1973 | 6 | — | 6 | — |
| 1971 | 5 | 7 | 12 | #4,065 |
| 1970 | 6 | 8 | 14 | #3,607 |
| 1969 | — | 12 | 12 | #2,601 |
| 1968 | 7 | 11 | 18 | #2,629 |
| 1967 | 5 | 6 | 11 | #3,688 |
| 1966 | 5 | 10 | 15 | #2,680 |
| 1965 | 8 | 7 | 15 | #3,328 |
| 1964 | 5 | 15 | 20 | #2,162 |
| 1963 | 8 | 16 | 24 | #2,073 |
| 1962 | 10 | 18 | 28 | #1,924 |
| 1961 | 7 | 17 | 24 | #2,031 |
| 1960 | 11 | 16 | 27 | #2,078 |
| 1959 | 11 | 24 | 35 | #1,645 |
| 1958 | 11 | 20 | 31 | #1,803 |
| 1957 | 17 | 23 | 40 | #1,696 |
| 1956 | 9 | 16 | 25 | #2,057 |
| 1955 | 17 | 28 | 45 | #1,469 |
| 1954 | 17 | 32 | 49 | #1,352 |
| 1953 | 14 | 32 | 46 | #1,349 |
| 1952 | 13 | 40 | 53 | #1,176 |
| 1951 | 15 | 44 | 59 | #1,091 |
| 1950 | 15 | 42 | 57 | #1,098 |
| 1949 | 22 | 37 | 59 | #1,181 |
| 1948 | 21 | 48 | 69 | #1,022 |
| 1947 | 23 | 38 | 61 | #1,185 |
| 1946 | 17 | 46 | 63 | #1,018 |
| 1945 | 23 | 57 | 80 | #836 |
| 1944 | 27 | 57 | 84 | #840 |
| 1943 | 25 | 70 | 95 | #786 |
| 1942 | 27 | 75 | 102 | #743 |
| 1941 | 25 | 80 | 105 | #689 |
| 1940 | 25 | 89 | 114 | #634 |
| 1939 | 29 | 81 | 110 | #662 |
| 1938 | 23 | 110 | 133 | #558 |
| 1937 | 29 | 103 | 132 | #569 |
| 1936 | 38 | 103 | 141 | #571 |
| 1935 | 36 | 105 | 141 | #565 |
| 1934 | 33 | 114 | 147 | #554 |
| 1933 | 33 | 105 | 138 | #562 |
| 1932 | 28 | 109 | 137 | #569 |
| 1931 | 26 | 128 | 154 | #510 |
| 1930 | 22 | 137 | 159 | #509 |
| 1929 | 25 | 93 | 118 | #638 |
| 1928 | 35 | 97 | 132 | #628 |
| 1927 | 40 | 114 | 154 | #583 |
| 1926 | 31 | 87 | 118 | #682 |
| 1925 | 41 | 79 | 120 | #738 |
| 1924 | 25 | 73 | 98 | #792 |
| 1923 | 36 | 74 | 110 | #768 |
| 1922 | 21 | 72 | 93 | #793 |
| 1921 | 25 | 57 | 82 | #936 |
| 1920 | 15 | 66 | 81 | #834 |
| 1919 | 10 | 51 | 61 | #948 |
| 1918 | 14 | 53 | 67 | #917 |
| 1917 | 10 | 54 | 64 | #874 |
| 1916 | 15 | 32 | 47 | #1,174 |
| 1915 | 14 | 39 | 53 | #1,035 |
| 1914 | 9 | 20 | 29 | #1,384 |
| 1913 | 7 | 17 | 24 | #1,305 |
| 1912 | 8 | 15 | 23 | #1,263 |
| 1911 | — | 5 | 5 | #1,916 |
| 1908 | — | 5 | 5 | #1,574 |