Edlin
An English name derived from the Old English words "ead" (prosperity) and "lind" (gentle).
Name Census estimates that about 290 living Americans carry the first name Edlin. It is a predominantly female name (95.4% of registrations). The average person named Edlin today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Edlin births was 1989 (53 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Edlin. 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
290
~ 1 in 1,181,912 Americans
Peak year
1989
53 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
1988 SSA rank
#6,658
Tracked since 1984
Gender
Gender distribution for Edlin
Edlin leans heavily female at 95.4% of total registrations, but 14 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Edlin as a male name
- Ranked #6,658 in 1988
- 6 male births in 1988
- Peak: 1987 (8 births)
Edlin as a female name
- Ranked #16,349 in 2018
- 5 female births in 2018
- Peak: 1989 (53 births)
Popularity
Edlin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Edlin from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 197 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Edlin 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 Edlin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Edlins live
Origin
Meaning and history of Edlin
The given name Edlin has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the elements "ead" meaning prosperity or fortune, and "lind" meaning tender or soft. It was a name commonly used in Anglo-Saxon England during the 7th to 11th centuries.
The earliest known recorded instance of the name Edlin can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, a census commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this historical record, there is an entry for an individual named Edlin who was a landowner in the county of Essex.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Edlin was Edlin of Birkenhead, a Benedictine monk who lived in the 12th century. He was renowned for his scholarly work and contributions to the monastic libraries of the time.
In the 13th century, there was a prominent English knight named Sir Edlin de Montfort who fought alongside Simon de Montfort during the Second Barons' War against King Henry III. Records indicate that he was born in 1225 and died in battle in 1265.
During the Renaissance period, an Italian artist and architect named Edlin Caracciolo gained recognition for his work on several churches and palaces in Naples and Rome. He was born in 1467 and lived until 1542.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the name Edlin was a Welsh poet and playwright from the 17th century. Edlin Prydydd, as he was known, wrote numerous works in the Welsh language and helped preserve the literary traditions of his time. He was born in 1620 and died in 1695.
While the name Edlin has become relatively uncommon in modern times, it still carries the rich heritage and historical significance of its Old English roots, reminding us of the prosperity and tenderness associated with its meaning.
People
Edlin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Edlin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Edlin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Edlin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 290 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Edlin 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 1,181,912 US residents.
Is Edlin a common name?
We classify Edlin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 303 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Edlin most popular?
The single biggest year for Edlin was 1989, when 53 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Edlin is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Edlin a female name?
Yes, 95.4% of people registered as Edlin 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.