Will my child share the name Merlin with classmates?

Unlikely. With around 14 UK babies named Merlin per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Merlin in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.

Is Merlin becoming more or less popular in the UK?

Merlin is declining: down 484 places since 2020, to #1,798 in 2025. It peaked at #786 in 2001.

Is Merlin a good choice for a distinctive name?

Merlin is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.

Is Merlin a popular baby name in the United States?

Merlin does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice.

👦 Boy's name 💎 Relatively Unique UK #1798

Merlin

🗳️ Add Merlin to a family shortlist

Merlin is a distinctive choice, ranked #1798 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Merlin in their class.

💎

UK Rank 2025

#1798

About the Name Merlin

Merlin has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 203 places in five years. It was most popular in 2001 at #786 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.

Merlin is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Merlin in their class.

⭐ Famous People Named Merlin

Merlin Santana — Merlin Santana was an American actor and rapper.
Merlin Holland — Christopher Merlin Vyvyan Holland is a British and Irish biographer and editor.
Joanna Merlin — Joanna Merlin was an American actress and casting director who worked with Stephen Sondheim and starred in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof.

Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the name Merlin

UK babies named Merlin (2025)

< 1

Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)

~0.0

In a school of 600

↓ 484 places

Rank change (last 5 years)

🏫 Who else is in the room?

In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Merlin

Almost certainly the only Merlin in the class

UK Popularity (1996–2025)

Rank and birth count · ONS official data

No US data available for this name

✨ Similar names to Merlin

Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story

→

→

→

→

🔮

Check another name

Enter any baby name to get UK and US popularity data, classroom predictions and trend charts.

🔮 Try the Name Checker 📚 Browse All Names

Famous People Named Merlin

Notable people who share this name, from history to the present day. See full list on Wikipedia

Merlin Santanab. 1996

Merlin Santana was an American actor and rapper.

Merlin Holland

Christopher Merlin Vyvyan Holland is a British and Irish biographer and editor.

Joanna Merlin

Joanna Merlin was an American actress and casting director who worked with Stephen Sondheim and starred in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof.

Merlin R. Lybbert

Merlin Rex Lybbert was a Canadian church leader and lawyer who served as a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1989 to 1994.

Merlin Olsen

Merlin Jay Olsen was an American professional football player, announcer, and actor.