Macklin
Macklin was the 998th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 228 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 737 places. More babies were named Macklin in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Meaning disputed · Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Say it MAK-lin /ˈmæklɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #998 boys, up 138 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 228boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025228 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,577babies recorded
What does the name Macklin mean?
Macklin is a surname of Gaelic origin, but sources disagree on which Gaelic name lies behind it. Wiktionary traces it to Mac Gille Eoin, 'son of the servant of (Saint) John', the name that also gave Maclean. Harrison's dictionary (1918) instead explains it as Mac Fhlainn, 'son of Flann', with the fh silent; Flann is an old Irish personal name meaning 'red'. As a first name it is a modern transfer of the surname.
Mac Gille Eoin (Gaelic, “son of the servant of John”)Mac Fhlainn (Irish, “son of Flann”)Flann (Old Irish, “red”)
How sure is this? Disputed. Wiktionary and Harrison give different Gaelic sources.
Related names: Mack, Maclean.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Macklin', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Maclean', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Flann' (Old Irish section), Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'MACKLIN', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Nicknames for Macklin
The usual nicknames for Macklin are Mack. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Macklin in the last five years, 353 were named Mack, against 534 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mack | Modern | #463 | 3,051 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Macklins go by each one.
Macklin popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 48 since 2017, 6 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #998 | 228 |
| 2020 | #1,136 | 172 |
| 2010 | #2,573 | 48 |
| 2000 | #3,489 | 24 |
| 1990 | #3,712 | 16 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Macklin, counting every spelling?
Macklin is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #799 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #998 for Macklin on its own. Together these spellings went to 303 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macklin | 228 | #998 | 864 |
| Maclin | 26 | #4,099 | 122 |
| Maclan | 16 | #5,753 | 97 |
| Macklen | 13 | #6,670 | 81 |
| Macklan | 13 | #6,669 | 72 |
| Maclane | 7 | #10,296 | 25 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Macklin?
228 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Macklin (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Macklin born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 37 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Macklin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Macklin?
About 2,500 people born in the US named Macklin are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 4 and 15. That makes Macklin a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Macklin by state
How common Macklin was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Missouri (3.9×), Iowa (3.0×), Kansas (2.9×), Minnesota (2.9×), Pennsylvania (2.5×). In 28 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Macklin: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Macklin, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Macklin · Sibling names for Macklin
Questions about the name Macklin
What does Macklin mean?
The meaning of Macklin is disputed: Wiktionary and Harrison give different Gaelic sources.
How popular is the name Macklin?
Macklin was the 998th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 228 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 737 places. More babies were named Macklin in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Macklin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Macklin in the US.
Where is Macklin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Macklin was most common in Missouri (0.39 per 1,000 boys), followed by Iowa and Kansas.