2000
#5,858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,415
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.01
Rare Last name
Marlin
A surname derived from a nickname for a passionate or fierce person, from the Germanic word "mar" meaning "famous".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,481 Americans carry the last name Marlin. That puts it at #6,780 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,535 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marlin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Marlin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,535
Census rank
#6,780
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,780 bearers of the surname Marlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6780th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marlin
The surname Marlin is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "merlin," meaning "blackbird" or "falcon." It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as a nickname or occupational name for a falconer or someone who trained and cared for falcons.
The name Marlin can be traced back to the Normandy region of France, where it was first recorded in the 12th century. It is possible that the name was brought to England by Norman settlers during the Norman Conquest of 1066.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marlin can be found in the Domesday Book, a record of land ownership in England compiled by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Merlinus," a variation of the modern spelling.
In the 13th century, the name Marlin appeared in various French records, such as the "Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Redon" (Cartulary of the Abbey of Redon) from Brittany, which mentions a "Robertus Merlinus" in 1236.
Notable individuals with the surname Marlin throughout history include Jacques Marlin (1605-1676), a French engraver and illustrator known for his works on architecture and engineering. Another notable figure was John Marlin (1673-1737), an English Protestant minister and author who published several religious works.
In the 19th century, Jean-Baptiste Marlin (1807-1890) was a French gunsmith and inventor, best known for developing the Marlin rifle, a popular and influential firearm design. His company, Marlin Firearms, continues to produce firearms to this day.
Other notable individuals include Charles Louis Marlin (1826-1896), a French politician and lawyer who served as a member of the French National Assembly, and Jacqueline Marlin (1928-2002), a French artist and painter known for her abstract expressionist works.
While the surname Marlin is of French origin, it has been carried by individuals across various countries and cultures throughout history, reflecting the global spread and diversity of this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Marlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Marlin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Marlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.2% · 3,880
- Black or African American7.9% · 377
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 261
- Two or more races4.0% · 189
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marlin
Marlin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,602
+187 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.90
Rank movement Down 263 places
2020
#6,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,780
-822 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 659 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,858 | 5,415 | 2.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,121 | 5,602 | 1.90 | +187 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 263 places |
| 2020 | #6,780 | 4,780 | 1.60 | -822 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 659 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Marlin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,121 | #6,780 | -10.8% |
| Count | 5,602 | 4,780 | -14.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.90 | 1.60 | -15.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marlin bearers went from 5,602 to 4,780 (-14.7% change). The surname moved down 659 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,121 to #6,780.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Marlin
FAQ
Marlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marlin?
Name Census estimates that about 5,481 living Americans carry the surname Marlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,535 residents.
How common is Marlin?
Marlin ranks #6,780 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,780 people with the surname Marlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,481), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Marlin.
Has Marlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marlin went from 5,602 recorded bearers to 4,780. That is a decrease of 822 (-14.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,121 to #6,780.
What does the Census say about the background of Marlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (5.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Marlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (3,880 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.2%), Black (7.9%), Hispanic (5.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Marlin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Marlin mean?
A surname derived from a nickname for a passionate or fierce person, from the Germanic word "mar" meaning "famous". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Marlin (1.60 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Marlin?
Want to know how many people are called Marlin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.