Merlin is an established boys' name that peaked in 1927 and has since faded.
Merlin is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #2,343 among boys (59) and #7,758 among girls (14) — overall #4,375 across all names. The charts below show girls and boys separately.
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 73 | 73 | #7,758 | #2,343 |
| 2024 | 86 | 86 | #8,281 | #2,072 |
| 2023 | 75 | 75 | #8,345 | #2,285 |
| 2022 | 60 | 60 | #9,451 | #2,703 |
| 2021 | 82 | 82 | #8,818 | #2,092 |
| 2020 | 69 | 69 | #6,825 | #2,493 |
| 2019 | 63 | 63 | #10,239 | #2,514 |
| 2018 | 69 | 69 | #8,987 | #2,346 |
| 2017 | 68 | 68 | #8,142 | #2,408 |
| 2016 | 51 | 51 | #9,866 | #2,967 |
| 2015 | 47 | 47 | #9,324 | #3,284 |
| 2014 | 46 | 46 | #9,354 | #3,283 |
| 2013 | 45 | 45 | #12,777 | #3,036 |
| 2012 | 54 | 54 | #8,079 | #2,989 |
| 2011 | 43 | 43 | #9,539 | #3,489 |
| 2010 | 39 | 39 | #8,169 | #4,194 |
| 2009 | 57 | 57 | #7,574 | #2,976 |
| 2008 | 66 | 66 | #5,532 | #2,988 |
| 2007 | 68 | 68 | #5,643 | #2,793 |
| 2006 | 71 | 71 | #6,062 | #2,500 |
| 2005 | 55 | 55 | #6,732 | #2,883 |
| 2004 | 58 | 58 | #9,081 | #2,442 |
| 2003 | 74 | 74 | #4,382 | #2,415 |
| 2002 | 58 | 58 | #7,318 | #2,398 |
| 2001 | 68 | 68 | #7,603 | #1,998 |
| 2000 | 59 | 59 | #8,378 | #2,162 |
| 1999 | 54 | 54 | #16,023 | #1,983 |
| 1998 | 55 | 55 | #9,048 | #2,084 |
| 1997 | 37 | — | #11,656 | #2,659 |
| 1996 | 53 | — | #6,620 | #2,168 |
| 1995 | 59 | — | #5,157 | #2,080 |
| 1994 | 46 | — | #5,385 | #2,663 |
| 1993 | 47 | — | #12,874 | #1,990 |
| 1992 | 52 | — | #5,195 | #2,285 |
| 1991 | 53 | — | #7,775 | #1,882 |
| 1990 | 54 | — | #8,293 | #1,800 |
| 1989 | 35 | — | #9,333 | #2,448 |
| 1988 | 49 | — | — | #1,518 |
| 1987 | 45 | — | #10,753 | #1,724 |
| 1986 | 34 | — | — | #1,824 |
| 1985 | 44 | — | — | #1,519 |
| 1984 | 39 | — | — | #1,568 |
| 1983 | 47 | — | #8,649 | #1,525 |
| 1982 | 50 | — | #11,632 | #1,432 |
| 1981 | 42 | — | — | #1,491 |
| 1980 | 54 | — | #9,882 | #1,368 |
| 1979 | 45 | — | — | #1,403 |
| 1978 | 48 | — | — | #1,318 |
| 1977 | 48 | — | — | #1,307 |
| 1976 | 53 | — | — | #1,185 |
| 1975 | 48 | — | — | #1,237 |
| 1974 | 57 | — | — | #1,096 |
| 1973 | 55 | — | #9,274 | #1,171 |
| 1972 | 77 | — | #7,890 | #966 |
| 1971 | 65 | — | — | #1,012 |
| 1970 | 48 | — | — | #1,201 |
| 1969 | 74 | — | — | #891 |
| 1968 | 65 | — | — | #895 |
| 1967 | 73 | — | — | #838 |
| 1966 | 96 | — | #4,742 | #782 |
| 1965 | 81 | — | — | #824 |
| 1964 | 100 | — | #7,452 | #777 |
| 1963 | 108 | — | — | #750 |
| 1962 | 96 | — | — | #777 |
| 1961 | 110 | — | — | #738 |
| 1960 | 105 | — | — | #755 |
| 1959 | 130 | — | — | #669 |
| 1958 | 161 | — | #6,707 | #617 |
| 1957 | 152 | — | #6,731 | #636 |
| 1956 | 155 | — | #6,575 | #622 |
| 1955 | 181 | — | #5,637 | #558 |
| 1954 | 159 | — | #4,539 | #602 |
| 1953 | 158 | — | — | #568 |
| 1952 | 162 | — | #5,345 | #562 |
| 1951 | 176 | — | — | #514 |
| 1950 | 175 | — | — | #507 |
| 1949 | 155 | — | #5,778 | #545 |
| 1948 | 167 | — | #3,083 | #534 |
| 1947 | 174 | — | #3,384 | #530 |
| 1946 | 214 | — | #4,285 | #442 |
| 1945 | 194 | — | #3,910 | #437 |
| 1944 | 208 | — | — | #420 |
| 1943 | 271 | — | #5,138 | #375 |
| 1942 | 225 | — | #3,636 | #419 |
| 1941 | 264 | — | #4,276 | #364 |
| 1940 | 256 | — | #3,741 | #364 |
| 1939 | 254 | — | #3,074 | #359 |
| 1938 | 284 | — | — | #332 |
| 1937 | 257 | — | — | #339 |
| 1936 | 289 | — | #2,116 | #329 |
| 1935 | 319 | — | #2,680 | #310 |
| 1934 | 289 | — | #4,143 | #323 |
| 1933 | 311 | — | #3,048 | #307 |
| 1932 | 324 | — | #2,976 | #309 |
| 1931 | 378 | — | #2,173 | #291 |
| 1930 | 338 | — | #5,030 | #311 |
| 1929 | 340 | — | #2,685 | #305 |
| 1928 | 314 | — | #4,048 | #320 |
| 1927 | 405 | — | #2,311 | #288 |
| 1926 | 382 | — | #2,542 | #296 |
| 1925 | 359 | — | #2,353 | #307 |
| 1924 | 347 | — | #3,298 | #312 |
| 1923 | 276 | — | #3,286 | #366 |
| 1922 | 338 | — | #3,298 | #316 |
| 1921 | 353 | — | #3,092 | #315 |
| 1920 | 321 | — | #4,271 | #328 |
| 1919 | 259 | — | #3,696 | #365 |
| 1918 | 280 | — | #2,780 | #355 |
| 1917 | 242 | — | #2,654 | #369 |
| 1916 | 231 | — | #2,772 | #369 |
| 1915 | 179 | — | — | #402 |
| 1914 | 127 | — | — | #426 |
| 1913 | 85 | — | — | #470 |
| 1912 | 82 | — | #2,860 | #454 |
| 1911 | 33 | — | — | #519 |
| 1910 | 23 | — | — | #612 |
| 1909 | 20 | — | — | #604 |
| 1908 | 30 | — | — | #446 |
| 1907 | 21 | — | — | #528 |
| 1906 | 12 | — | — | #739 |
| 1905 | 10 | — | — | #825 |
| 1904 | 14 | — | — | #635 |
| 1903 | 9 | — | — | #824 |
| 1902 | 14 | — | — | #604 |
| 1901 | 13 | — | #1,608 | #915 |
| 1900 | 8 | — | — | #1,019 |
| 1899 | 8 | — | — | #837 |
| 1898 | 7 | — | — | #958 |
| 1896 | 6 | — | — | #1,063 |
| 1895 | 10 | — | — | #730 |
| 1891 | 6 | — | — | #920 |
| 1890 | 5 | — | — | #1,106 |
| 1887 | 8 | — | — | #722 |
| 1885 | 6 | — | — | #898 |