Merlyn
#11,932 for girls in 2025, 7 births · #10,695 for boys in 2025, 6 births
Given to boys 67.6% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1931 · 128 births
- Debut · boys
- 5 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 3,410since 1908
Merlyn over time
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #11,932 | 7 | #10,695 | 6 |
| 2024 | #15,293 | 5 | — | |
| 2023 | #8,486 | 12 | — | |
| 2022 | #9,056 | 11 | #9,823 | 7 |
| 2021 | #9,562 | 10 | #10,799 | 6 |
| 2020 | #8,406 | 12 | #12,022 | 5 |
| 2019 | #9,736 | 10 | #10,803 | 6 |
| 2018 | #10,545 | 9 | — | |
| 2017 | #10,689 | 9 | #10,775 | 6 |
| 2016 | #11,781 | 8 | #10,744 | 6 |
| 2015 | #8,931 | 12 | — | |
| 2014 | #10,955 | 9 | #12,108 | 5 |
| 2013 | #16,547 | 5 | #10,728 | 6 |
| 2012 | #12,199 | 8 | #12,274 | 5 |
| 2011 | #7,783 | 15 | — | |
| 2010 | #7,880 | 15 | — | |
| 2009 | #7,679 | 16 | #8,985 | 8 |
| 2008 | #5,955 | 23 | — | |
| 2007 | #7,092 | 18 | — | |
| 2006 | #7,868 | 15 | — | |
| 2005 | #7,138 | 16 | — | |
| 2004 | #7,077 | 16 | #8,927 | 7 |
| 2003 | #6,055 | 19 | — | |
| 2002 | #9,482 | 10 | — | |
| 2001 | #9,351 | 10 | — | |
| 2000 | #7,580 | 13 | #6,316 | 10 |
| 1999 | #8,805 | 10 | #6,530 | 9 |
| 1998 | #5,799 | 17 | — | |
| 1997 | #6,483 | 14 | #9,265 | 5 |
| 1996 | #11,807 | 6 | — | |
| 1995 | #7,041 | 12 | — | |
| 1994 | #6,319 | 14 | — | |
| 1993 | #6,264 | 14 | #7,638 | 6 |
| 1992 | #7,067 | 12 | — | |
| 1991 | #10,271 | 7 | #6,519 | 7 |
| 1990 | #10,193 | 7 | #8,117 | 5 |
| 1989 | #8,037 | 9 | — | |
| 1988 | #5,895 | 13 | #7,270 | 5 |
| 1987 | #11,325 | 5 | #6,089 | 6 |
| 1986 | #9,545 | 6 | — | |
| 1985 | #7,563 | 8 | — | |
| 1984 | #6,810 | 9 | — | |
| 1983 | — | — | ||
| 1982 | — | — | ||
| 1981 | #7,409 | 8 | — | |
| 1980 | — | #3,430 | 12 | |
| 1979 | #9,010 | 6 | #4,403 | 8 |
| 1978 | — | #5,059 | 6 | |
| 1977 | #9,652 | 5 | #5,845 | 5 |
| 1976 | #9,284 | 5 | — | |
| 1975 | — | #4,797 | 6 | |
| 1974 | — | #3,837 | 8 | |
| 1973 | #7,435 | 6 | — | |
| 1972 | — | — | ||
| 1971 | #8,324 | 5 | #3,963 | 7 |
| 1970 | #7,070 | 6 | #3,521 | 8 |
| 1969 | — | #2,549 | 12 | |
| 1968 | #5,642 | 7 | #2,576 | 11 |
| 1967 | #6,804 | 5 | #3,559 | 6 |
| 1966 | #6,564 | 5 | #2,627 | 10 |
| 1965 | #4,831 | 8 | #3,244 | 7 |
| 1964 | #6,767 | 5 | #2,114 | 15 |
| 1963 | #4,896 | 8 | #2,044 | 16 |
| 1962 | #4,263 | 10 | #1,896 | 18 |
| 1961 | #5,309 | 7 | #1,997 | 17 |
| 1960 | #3,920 | 11 | #2,042 | 16 |
| 1959 | #3,827 | 11 | #1,620 | 24 |
| 1958 | #3,747 | 11 | #1,766 | 20 |
| 1957 | #2,823 | 17 | #1,673 | 23 |
| 1956 | #4,161 | 9 | #2,015 | 16 |
| 1955 | #2,725 | 17 | #1,458 | 28 |
| 1954 | #2,695 | 17 | #1,333 | 32 |
| 1953 | #2,921 | 14 | #1,331 | 32 |
| 1952 | #3,040 | 13 | #1,166 | 40 |
| 1951 | #2,694 | 15 | #1,083 | 44 |
| 1950 | #2,652 | 15 | #1,086 | 42 |
| 1949 | #2,069 | 22 | #1,163 | 37 |
| 1948 | #2,126 | 21 | #1,015 | 48 |
| 1947 | #2,045 | 23 | #1,176 | 38 |
| 1946 | #2,318 | 17 | #1,003 | 46 |
| 1945 | #1,743 | 23 | #830 | 57 |
| 1944 | #1,578 | 27 | #832 | 57 |
| 1943 | #1,703 | 25 | #781 | 70 |
| 1942 | #1,592 | 27 | #740 | 75 |
| 1941 | #1,569 | 25 | #683 | 80 |
| 1940 | #1,549 | 25 | #631 | 89 |
| 1939 | #1,378 | 29 | #660 | 81 |
| 1938 | #1,596 | 23 | #551 | 110 |
| 1937 | #1,355 | 29 | #567 | 103 |
| 1936 | #1,150 | 38 | #566 | 103 |
| 1935 | #1,182 | 36 | #563 | 105 |
| 1934 | #1,236 | 33 | #552 | 114 |
| 1933 | #1,244 | 33 | #557 | 105 |
| 1932 | #1,421 | 28 | #565 | 109 |
| 1931 | #1,459 | 26 | #507 | 128 |
| 1930 | #1,703 | 22 | #508 | 137 |
| 1929 | #1,555 | 25 | #633 | 93 |
| 1928 | #1,290 | 35 | #621 | 97 |
| 1927 | #1,233 | 40 | #579 | 114 |
| 1926 | #1,449 | 31 | #678 | 87 |
| 1925 | #1,210 | 41 | #730 | 79 |
| 1924 | #1,723 | 25 | #787 | 73 |
| 1923 | #1,305 | 36 | #765 | 74 |
| 1922 | #1,897 | 21 | #791 | 72 |
| 1921 | #1,723 | 25 | #931 | 57 |
| 1920 | #2,357 | 15 | #826 | 66 |
| 1919 | #3,005 | 10 | #938 | 51 |
| 1918 | #2,376 | 14 | #909 | 53 |
| 1917 | #2,879 | 10 | #864 | 54 |
| 1916 | #2,133 | 15 | #1,157 | 32 |
| 1915 | #2,143 | 14 | #1,015 | 39 |
| 1914 | #2,434 | 9 | #1,342 | 20 |
| 1913 | #2,540 | 7 | #1,256 | 17 |
| 1912 | #2,144 | 8 | #1,223 | 15 |
| 1911 | — | #1,740 | 5 | |
| 1910 | — | — | ||
| 1909 | — | — | ||
| 1908 | — | #1,373 | 5 | |
| 1907 | — | — | ||
| 1906 | — | — | ||
| 1905 | — | — | ||
| 1904 | — | — | ||
| 1903 | — | — | ||
| 1902 | — | — | ||
| 1901 | — | — | ||
| 1900 | — | — | ||
| 1899 | — | — | ||
| 1898 | — | — | ||
| 1897 | — | — | ||
| 1896 | — | — | ||
| 1895 | — | — | ||
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | — | ||
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five boys were named Merlyn! It came in at #1,373, and was given to 5 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1908–1911, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.
Where Merlyn is popular in 1930
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- South Dakota#121 · 1 in 522
- North Dakota#129 · 1 in 679
- Nebraska#135 · 1 in 712
- Minnesota#136 · 1 in 916
- Iowa#154 · 1 in 925
Best ever in a state: #99 in South Dakota, 1937.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | #121 | 11 | 1 in 522 |
| North Dakota | #129 | 9 | 1 in 679 |
| Nebraska | #135 | 16 | 1 in 712 |
| Minnesota | #136 | 22 | 1 in 916 |
| Iowa | #154 | 21 | 1 in 925 |
| Wisconsin | #196 | 13 | 1 in 1,886 |
| Kansas | #277 | 5 | 1 in 2,988 |
| Michigan | #315 | 9 | 1 in 4,712 |
| Illinois | #483 | 5 | 1 in 11,577 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Texas | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Merlyn
- 1,327 spots since 2020 (#12,022 → #10,695)
- Biggest jump: 293 spots in 1917 (#1,157 → #864)
- Biggest drop: 173 spots in 1946 (#830 → #1,003)
- Debuted 1908
- Peaked 1931 at #507 (128 births)
- Births halved by 1944, 13 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 29 yrs · run 1917–1945
- Highest: 1 in 8,010 boys born in 1930 were named Merlyn (0.01%)
- Latest: 1 in 284,679 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
- Its best rank, #507 in 1931, was only 1 in 8,122 (0.01%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 32.1% of all boys named Merlyn (1,095) were born in this decade
- Mostly boys until 2013, mostly girls since
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 5 | #1,373 (1908) | #1,373 |
| 1910s | 286 | #864 (1917) | #1,160 |
| 1920s | 812 | #579 (1927) | #734 |
| 1930s | 1,095 | #507 (1931) | #560 |
| 1940s | 597 | #631 (1940) | #885 |
| 1950s | 301 | #1,083 (1951) | #1,453 |
| 1960s | 128 | #1,896 (1962) | #2,465 |
| 1970s | 48 | #3,521 (1970) | #4,489 |
| 1980s | 23 | #3,430 (1980) | #5,596 |
| 1990s | 32 | #6,519 (1991) | #7,614 |
| 2000s | 25 | #6,316 (2000) | #8,076 |
| 2010s | 34 | #10,728 (2013) | #11,239 |
| 2020s | 24 | #9,823 (2022) | #10,835 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Merlyn in 1930
Top girls' names in 1930
Top boys' names in 1930
More about 1930
girls
1,125,927 girls got a published name in 1930; 1 in 51,179 of them was named Merlyn, which outranked 67.5% of the 5,247 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #1,661Shirlene23
- #1,661Thea23
- #1,661Warren23
- #1,703Merlyn22
- #1,703Anner22
- #1,703Annice22
- #1,703Armella22
- #1,748Adaline21
- #1,748Amber21
- #1,748Angel21
Tied with 44 names at #1,703; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,097,378 boys got a published name in 1930; 1 in 8,010 of them was named Merlyn, which outranked 88.8% of the 4,542 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.7% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).