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Merlin

Gender
Boy
Say it
MER-lin
Origin
Welsh
UK rank, 2025
#1,859 for boys
US rank, 2025
#2,332 for boys

Merlin is a boys' name of Welsh origin, meaning “sea fortress”. In 2025 it ranked 1,859th for boys in the UK (14 babies) and 2,332nd for boys in the US (59 babies).

What does Merlin mean?

Welsh: from Myrddin, via Latin Merlinus

“sea fortress”

Geoffrey of Monmouth turned the Welsh Myrddin into Merlinus, the wizard of King Arthur's court.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Merlin a girl's or a boy's name?

Merlin is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 14 boys in the UK and 14 girls and 59 boys in the US.

How popular is Merlin in the UK?

Rank in 2025
1,859th among boys
Babies in 2025
14 about 1 in 21,000 boys
Five-year trend
Falling down 25% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 14 boys in the UK were named Merlin, making it the 1,859th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,356th. Its busiest year was 2017, with 28 boys.

Half of all the boys named Merlin in the UK since 1996 were born between 2003 and 2020. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

Among boys in 2025, it was 1,795th in England and Wales.

1996Busiest: 28 in 20172025
Merlin in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202514#1,859
202417#1,585
202313#1,917
202227#1,130
202123#1,265
202020#1,356
201921#1,302
201818#1,486
201728#1,115
20169#2,468
201510#2,260
20148#2,593
20134#4,008
201214#1,765
201110#2,158
201011#2,013
20098#2,445
20088#2,384
20077#2,554
20068#2,193
200517#1,267
200417#1,183
200316#1,163
200214#1,193
200122#845
200014#1,113
19999#1,451
199812#1,180
199715#1,025
199611#1,215

How popular is Merlin in the US?

Rank in 2025
2,332nd among boys
Babies in 2025
59 about 1 in 29,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steady up 20% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 59 boys in the US were named Merlin, making it the 2,332nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,466th. Its busiest year was 1927, with 389 boys. It first appears in the records in 1885. 14 girls were also named Merlin in 2025 (7,489th for girls).

Half of all the boys named Merlin in the US since 1880 were born between 1926 and 1957, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 65 boys in the US were given Merlin or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,889, up from #2,332 for this spelling alone.

In 2025, 19% of the babies named Merlin in the US were girls.

1885Busiest: 389 in 19272025
Merlin in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
202559#2,332
202473#2,057
202362#2,276
202249#2,674
202170#2,078
202052#2,466
201953#2,490
201857#2,324
201754#2,387
201640#2,934
201535#3,230
201434#3,232
201337#2,996
201239#2,952
201131#3,433
201024#4,098
200940#2,945
200840#2,945
200743#2,764
200649#2,476
200537#2,842
200446#2,415
200344#2,388
200243#2,368
200154#1,978
200047#2,132
199949#1,963
199845#2,065
199730#2,609
199639#2,140
199540#2,050
199428#2,613
199341#1,964
199233#2,248
199142#1,861
199044#1,775
198927#2,410
198849#1,509
198739#1,707
198634#1,789
198544#1,503
198439#1,555
198340#1,515
198245#1,414
198142#1,478
198048#1,357
197945#1,390
197848#1,299
197748#1,289
197653#1,179
197548#1,228
197457#1,091
197350#1,163
197271#960
197165#1,007
197048#1,192
196974#885
196865#893
196773#836
196687#778
196581#820
196495#774
1963108#746
196296#775
1961110#734
1960105#751
1959130#668
1958156#614
1957147#633
1956150#621
1955175#554
1954151#599
1953158#566
1952156#558
1951176#513
1950175#505
1949150#543
1948155#531
1947163#529
1946207#442
1945187#437
1944208#419
1943266#375
1942217#418
1941258#364
1940249#364
1939245#358
1938284#331
1937257#339
1936274#329
1935308#310
1934283#323
1933302#307
1932314#309
1931363#291
1930333#311
1929328#305
1928307#320
1927389#287
1926368#296
1925343#307
1924337#312
1923266#365
1922328#316
1921342#315
1920314#327
1919251#365
1918268#355
1917230#368
1916220#369
1915179#402
1914127#425
191385#465
191276#450
191133#514
191023#598
190920#590
190830#438
190721#511
190612#709
190510#786
190414#612
19039#783
190214#582
19017#857
19008#967
18998#786
18987#884
18970–
18966#981
189510#685
18940–
18930–
18920–
18916#840
18905#994
18890–
18880–
18878#679
18860–
18856#835

Names like Merlin

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Freddie, Robin, Teddy, Marvin, Tommy, Franklin, Martin, Arthur, Stanley, Leon, Otis, Louie

Other spellings of Merlin

Merlyn

Names related to Merlin

Marlin, Marylin, Merlina, Merelyn, Marlina, Marelin, Merilyn

More Welsh names

Dylan, Owen, Winnie, Maddox, Morgan, Idris, Reese, Bowen, Griffin, Rhys, Gavin, Reece, Nia, Seren, Gwendolyn, Winifred

Every Welsh name

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, “Merlin: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/merlin, updated 20 October 2026.