Balin
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- BAL-in
Balin is a boys' name. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Balin mean?
Literary name, used in Arthurian legend and by Tolkien
Balin is a dwarf in Tolkien's The Hobbit, and Sir Balin is a knight in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.
Is Balin a girl's or a boy's name?
Balin is a boys' name.
How popular is Balin in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2010, with 5 boys.
Balin in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 | #4,959 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 1 | #6,416 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 3 | #4,829 |
| 2013 | 3 | #4,884 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 1 | #6,218 |
| 2010 | 5 | #3,478 |
| 2009 | 3 | #4,691 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 3 | #4,486 |
How popular is Balin in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2006, with 37 boys. It first appears in the records in 1992.
Half of all the boys named Balin in the US since 1880 were born between 2003 and 2011, the years shaded on the chart below.
Balin in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6 | #10,794 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 8 | #8,883 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 8 | #8,835 |
| 2016 | 7 | #9,659 |
| 2015 | 13 | #6,320 |
| 2014 | 11 | #7,043 |
| 2013 | 29 | #3,580 |
| 2012 | 18 | #5,030 |
| 2011 | 30 | #3,509 |
| 2010 | 36 | #3,127 |
| 2009 | 31 | #3,474 |
| 2008 | 22 | #4,392 |
| 2007 | 18 | #4,994 |
| 2006 | 37 | #2,978 |
| 2005 | 16 | #5,029 |
| 2004 | 17 | #4,788 |
| 2003 | 22 | #3,833 |
| 2002 | 18 | #4,316 |
| 2001 | 19 | #4,115 |
| 2000 | 20 | #3,916 |
| 1999 | 11 | #5,650 |
| 1998 | 8 | #6,837 |
| 1997 | 6 | #8,104 |
| 1996 | 5 | #9,008 |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 5 | #8,426 |
Names like Balin
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Aiden, Brody, Jayden, Kayden, Rayyan, Logan, Kian, Muhammad, Finn, Musa, Ayaan, Caelan
Names related to Balin
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Balin: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/balin, updated 20 October 2026.