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Marlin

“Variant of Merlin — Sea hill, from Celtic words for sea and stronghold” — Celtic via Old French origin

Boy's name · #1778 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Marlin has appeared in US records since 1884 — best rank #276 (1935) · 21,172 babies named Marlin all-time · 1 in 20,000 boys born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 13,000 boys in Austria (2025) · about 1 in 18,000 boys in Switzerland (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 6 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Marlins

• Marlin Stutzman — American politician
• Marlin Perkins — American zoologist
• Marlin Fitzwater — White House Press Secretary
• Marlin Skiles — American composer (1906-1981)
• Marlin Hurt — American entertainer (1905-1946)

In stories & tradition

• Marlin — Finding Dory · Finding Nemo

What Marlins become

Among 61 notable people named Marlin:

Athletes appear 2.12× more often than among typical names — e.g. Marlin Klein, German-born American football player (born 2002).

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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