Myrlin
A masculine name derived from the name Merlin, a famous wizard character.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Myrlin. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Myrlin today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Myrlin births was 1915 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Myrlin. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Myrlin is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Myrlins were born before 1962.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Myrlin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1915
5 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1930 SSA rank
#4,377
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Myrlin
Myrlin is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 30 total registrations, 15 (50.0%) were male and 15 (50.0%) were female.
Myrlin as a male name
- Ranked #4,377 in 1930
- 5 male births in 1930
- Peak: 1915 (5 births)
Myrlin as a female name
- Ranked #6,757 in 1957
- 5 female births in 1957
- Peak: 1932 (5 births)
Popularity
Myrlin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Myrlin from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 15 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Myrlin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Myrlin 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 Myrlin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Myrlin
The name Myrlin is believed to have originated in ancient Britain, derived from the Welsh name Myrddin, which means "sea fortress" or "sea hill." This name is closely associated with the legendary figure of Merlin, the renowned wizard from Arthurian legend.
The earliest known reference to the name Myrlin can be found in the Annales Cambriae, a medieval Welsh chronicle dating back to the late 6th or early 7th century. In this text, Myrddin is mentioned as a famous bard or prophet who lived during the turbulent times following the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain.
Over the centuries, the name Myrlin has been popularized through various literary works and adaptations of the Arthurian legends. One of the most notable figures bearing this name was Merlin Ambrosius, the legendary wizard who played a pivotal role in the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth's influential work, Historia Regum Britanniae, further solidified the character of Merlin as a powerful sorcerer and prophet. This depiction of Merlin as a wise and mystical figure has endured through countless retellings and interpretations, cementing the name Myrlin's association with magic and wisdom.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Myrlin or its variants. One such figure was Myrlin, a 5th-century British ruler and military leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons. Another was Myrlin ap Gwyndaf, a 10th-century Welsh prince and warrior renowned for his bravery in battle.
In the realm of literature, the name Myrlin has been used by notable authors such as T.H. White in his novel "The Once and Future King," where the character of Merlin plays a central role. Additionally, the name has been featured in various adaptations of the Arthurian legends, including films, television series, and stage productions.
While the name Myrlin has maintained a strong connection to its mythical and literary origins, it has also been adopted by individuals in modern times, albeit less commonly than its more popular variant, Merlin.
People
Myrlin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Myrlin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Myrlin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Myrlin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Myrlin 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Myrlin a common name?
We classify Myrlin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 30 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Myrlin most popular?
The single biggest year for Myrlin was 1915, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Myrlin is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Myrlin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Myrlin a female name?
Yes, 50.0% of people registered as Myrlin 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.
Is Myrlin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Myrlin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Myrlin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Myrlin?
See how many Americans are named Myrlin on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.