Masculine dossier · first seen 1884
Marlin
Stable
Cross-generational persistence
Peak era
1935
Peak births
386
Current vitality
Rare
Peak generation
Silent Generation
Quick answers about Marlin
How many people are named Marlin?
An estimated 10,579 living Americans are named Marlin.
How rare is Marlin?
Marlin is uncommon among babies today, with 90 boys receiving the name in 2025, down 76.7% from its 1935 peak.
How old is the typical Marlin?
The median age of a living American named Marlin is approximately 53 years, with most bearers falling between 32 and 68 years old.
Is Marlin still popular?
Yes. Marlin is holding steady, with 90 births in 2025 and a consistent recent baseline.
Where is Marlin most common?
Marlin has its strongest geographic signal in North Dakota, where it appears 7.4× more often than the national baseline.
1884Peak 19352025
Peak year
1935
Decline from peak
76.7%
2025
90
All-time
21,172
Where it lives now
Marlin is most concentrated in North Dakota — about 7.4× the national rate in the 1950s. It also runs high in South Dakota.
States where Marlin is given more often than the national average — its present-day heartland.