Marlin
Marlin was the 1788th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 90 babies. Its best year was 1935, when it ranked 276th with 386 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 32 places. More babies were named Marlin in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Marlon) Origin not documented
- Rank in 2025
- #1,788 boys, up 298 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 90boys
- Girls and boys
- 14% girls, 86% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1935386 babies
- Total since 1880
- 22,834babies recorded
What does the name Marlin mean?
Marlin is a spelling of Marlon, pronounced the same way, so it shares Marlon's meaning and origin.
Marlon's origin is not known. Wikipedia, citing the Oxford Dictionary of First Names, says the name became widely known through the actor Marlon Brando (whose father was also named Marlon) and that its origin is unknown; a link with French Marc is only speculation. Marlon was most popular in the US in the 1970s and again around 2000, and is also common in Latin America and the Caribbean.
How sure is this? Not documented. No documented origin; the French "Marc" idea is speculation.
Related names: Marlin, Marlen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marlon', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Marlon', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Marlin popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,748 | #1,788 | 14 | 90 |
| 2020 | #10,820 | #2,086 | 9 | 68 |
| 2010 | #5,357 | #1,994 | 26 | 69 |
| 2000 | #4,492 | #1,415 | 27 | 88 |
| 1990 | #3,864 | #968 | 27 | 117 |
| 1980 | #7,845 | #807 | 8 | 119 |
| 1970 | #4,955 | #604 | 11 | 182 |
| 1960 | #3,464 | #524 | 14 | 231 |
| 1950 | #4,195 | #400 | 8 | 289 |
| 1940 | #2,377 | #318 | 13 | 315 |
| 1930 | — | #314 | — | 312 |
| 1920 | — | #465 | — | 172 |
| 1910 | — | #845 | — | 14 |
| 1900 | — | #826 | — | 11 |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Marlin, counting every spelling?
Marlin is a spelling of Marlon, a name family that ranked #819 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,788 for Marlin on its own. Together these spellings went to 290 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marlon | 195 | #1,105 | 1,075 |
| Marlin | 90 | #1,788 | 409 |
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 Marlin?
90 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marlin (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Marlin 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 93 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marlin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marlin?
About 11,200 people born in the US named Marlin are alive today, with a median age of 55; half are between 33 and 71. That makes Marlin mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Marlin by state
How common Marlin was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (4.9×), Wisconsin (3.9×), Ohio (3.9×), Indiana (2.9×). In 42 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 Marlin: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marlin, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Marlin
How popular is the name Marlin?
Marlin was the 1788th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 90 babies. Its best year was 1935, when it ranked 276th with 386 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 32 places. More babies were named Marlin in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Marlin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 14% girls, 86% boys given the name Marlin in the US.
Where is Marlin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marlin was most common in Pennsylvania (0.23 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wisconsin and Ohio.