Frequency: (381)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
1. English, French, and Spanish (Merlín): from the Old French personal name Merlin, Latin Merlinus was derived from the Welsh personal name Myrddin. Merlinus was a Latinized form of Myrddin devised by Geoffrey of Monmouth and popularized in the Arthurian romances.
2. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): metronymic from the Yiddish female personal name Merle, a pet form of Miryam (see Mirkin).
GIVEN NAMES: Jewish 4%. Aron, Arye, Sura.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
