Berlyn
A feminine name of Old German origin meaning "from the bright meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 921 living Americans carry the first name Berlyn. It is a predominantly female name (91.3% of registrations). The average person named Berlyn today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Berlyn births was 2009 (54 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Berlyn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
921
~ 1 in 372,155 Americans
Peak year
2009
54 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2021 SSA rank
#5,804
Tracked since 1916
Gender
Gender distribution for Berlyn
Berlyn leans heavily female at 91.3% of total registrations, but 87 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Berlyn as a male name
- Ranked #12,387 in 2021
- 5 male births in 2021
- Peak: 1934 (11 births)
Berlyn as a female name
- Ranked #5,804 in 2024
- 21 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2009 (54 births)
Popularity
Berlyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Berlyn from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 340 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Berlyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Berlyn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Berlyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Berlyns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Florida, Utah recorded the most babies named Berlyn, while Texas, New York, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 52 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Berlyn
The name Berlyn has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically Old English and Old Norse. It is derived from the Old English "beorn," meaning "warrior" or "hero," and the Old Norse "linn," meaning "lake" or "pool." The combination of these elements suggests a meaning of "warrior of the lake" or "heroic lake dweller."
In ancient times, the name was likely associated with individuals who lived near bodies of water, perhaps skilled warriors or hunters who relied on the lakes and rivers for sustenance and transportation. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, around the 5th to 11th centuries.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Berlyn was a Anglo-Saxon nobleman who lived in the 9th century. Historical records from that time mention him as a respected leader and skilled warrior who defended his lands against Viking raids.
During the Middle Ages, the name gained popularity among the nobility and landed gentry in various parts of Europe. A notable bearer of the name was Berlyn of Aquitaine, a French knight who fought in the Crusades in the 12th century. He was known for his bravery and military prowess on the battlefield.
In the 16th century, a Dutch explorer named Berlyn van der Meer accompanied the famous navigator Willem Barentsz on his expeditions to the Arctic regions. Van der Meer's journals and maps provided valuable insights into the geography and cultures of the far north.
As the name spread across Europe, it also found its way to the British Isles. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Sir Berlyn Knowles, an English soldier and statesman who served as a member of Parliament in the 17th century. He played a significant role in the English Civil War and was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.
Another noteworthy individual with the name was Berlyn Schwarzenegger, a German-born Austrian bodybuilder and actor who rose to fame in the 20th century. Born in 1947, he became a cultural icon and enjoyed a successful career in both bodybuilding and Hollywood, starring in numerous blockbuster films.
While the name Berlyn has its roots in ancient Germanic languages, it has maintained a presence throughout history, carried by individuals from various walks of life, from warriors and explorers to statesmen and entertainers.
People
Berlyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Berlyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Berlyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Berlyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 921 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Berlyn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 372,155 US residents.
Is Berlyn a common name?
We classify Berlyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,005 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Berlyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Berlyn was 2009, when 54 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Berlyn is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Berlyn a female name?
Yes, 91.3% of people registered as Berlyn in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.