Merlin
Meaning
"sea fortress"
Origin: Brittonic/Welsh
Cultural Roots
Quick Stats
- Popularity Rank
- #2,083
- Total SSA Count
- 72
- Syllables
- 2
- Formality
- Moderate
- Nicknames
- Merl
Baby Name Comparison — 2026
"sea fortress"
Origin: Brittonic/Welsh
"divine gift"
Origin: Greek
Theodore is more popular, ranked #4 vs #2083 for Merlin.
Historical US popularity rank — lower number means more popular.
Historical trend data not available for this comparison.
Names that pair well as siblings.
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Theodore is more popular, ranked #4 compared to Merlin at #2083 in the United States.
Merlin means "sea fortress" (Brittonic/Welsh origin). Theodore means "divine gift" (Greek origin).
Merlin is primarily a boy name. Theodore is primarily a boy name.