How old is someone named Merlin?
The average Merlin is 51 years old.
Half of all living Merlins are between 25 and 74. The average sits between a large older group and a younger one, so many Merlins are much older than 51.
When was Merlin popular?
Merlin has never really gone out of style. Parents have chosen it every year for more than a century; its busiest year was 1927.
Popular names of 1927 · The most popular names of the 1920s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 151 | 0 |
| 1910s | 1,541 | 0 |
| 1920s | 3,435 | under 100 |
| 1930s | 3,043 | 360 |
| 1940s | 2,128 | 880 |
| 1950s | 1,609 | 1,100 |
| 1960s | 908 | 730 |
| 1970s | 544 | 490 |
| 1980s | 439 | 410 |
| 1990s | 510 | 500 |
| 2000s | 634 | 620 |
| 2010s | 525 | 520 |
| 2020s | 445 | 440 |
How many Merlins are still alive?
About 6,000 Merlins are alive in the US today. That's 38% of the roughly 16,000 babies named Merlin since 1885.
Most Merlins ever born have died: the name was most popular in 1927, long enough ago that many of those babies are gone.
What generation is the name Merlin?
About one in three living Merlins are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is Merlin an old name?
Yes. Merlin is older than 78 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical Merlin will be 38 in 2056, so its average age will actually fall, as the youngest Merlins make up more of the total.
Is Merlin a boy or girl name?
Mostly a boy's name: 89% of living Merlins are men, and 11% are women.
The women average 29 and the men 53.
Names the same age as Merlin
NAME TWIN
Merlin's name twin is Elmer. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Elmer's age curve is the closest match to Merlin's: 90% alike.
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Questions about the name Merlin
How old is the average Merlin?
The average Merlin in the US is 51 years old. The median is 57, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named Merlin?
About 6,000 Merlins are alive in the US today, out of roughly 16,000 babies given the name since 1885.
When was the name Merlin most popular?
In 1927, when about 410 baby boys were named Merlin.
Is Merlin a Boomer name?
Partly. Baby Boomers are the largest group, about 30% of living Merlins, but the name spans several generations.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this