boy's name
Marlin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 22,936
Marlin is a boy's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 104 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 1935, when 400 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 31,879 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1884.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Marlin over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 6 |
| 1890s | 36 |
| 1900s | 124 |
| 1910s | 1,122 |
| 1920s | 2,339 |
| 1930s | 3,508 |
| 1940s | 3,143 |
| 1950s | 2,989 |
| 1960s | 2,228 |
| 1970s | 1,941 |
| 1980s | 1,291 |
| 1990s | 1,368 |
| 2000s | 1,214 |
| 2010s | 974 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 551 |
How popular is Marlin?
In 2025, Marlin was given to 104 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Marlin is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Marlin
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Marlin also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Marlin over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Marlin
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Marlin — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Marlin
How popular is the name Marlin?
In 2025, Marlin was given to 104 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Marlin a girl's or a boy's name?
Marlin is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Marlin?
Marlin has 2 syllables.
When was Marlin most popular?
Marlin peaked in 1935, when 400 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Marlin a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Marlin currently ranks #1,785 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.