Given name & surname
Berlin
“from the borderline”
Berlin is used as a given name and a surname. One German interpretation is “from the borderline.”
Original GermanBerliner
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “from the borderline.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is German.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1899. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Berlin through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,431
- 1,635 boys · 1,796 girls
- Most popular year
- 2011
- 102 babies
- 2025
- 58
- #3,788 for girls · #5,061 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +1%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 26% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 39 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,788 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 97 in 2011. It also appeared in 19 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,210 as a first name in 2020; 7,082 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Berlin’s family of names
In German usage, Berlin as a surname has a related form in BERLINER. In Greek usage, Berlin as a surname is a transliteration of Μπερλίν. In German usage, Berlin as a surname has a conventional equivalent in the Tajik form Берлин.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Berlin has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its German roots to each of them.
Germanwhere Berlin comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Berlin, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Rein
Rein is a surname with more than one origin. It is used in English and Estonian.
49% boys · 51% girls
Kirby
“from the church town” · “from the village with the church”
48% boys · 52% girls
Bergen
Bergen is used as a given name and a surname. One Scandinavian interpretation is “one who lives on the mountain; one who lives on the hill.”
38% boys · 62% girls
Larkin
“a pretty young woman” · “one who is fierce”
40% boys · 60% girls
Kaylen
“a mighty warrior”
29% boys · 71% girls
Payson
Payson is a surname.
50% boys · 50% girls
Jalyn
“one who is calm; a healer” · “one who heals others; one who is tranquil”
48% boys · 52% girls
Ellington
“eel” · “belonging to”
34% boys · 66% girls