Declining since 2010.
Popularity of Balin since 1992
Babies named Balin per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 35 |
| 2000s | 220 |
| 2010s | 160 |
| 2020s | 6 |
Meaning & origin
Balin is a rare given name that first entered U.S. birth records in 1992, likely inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's character in The Hobbit. In 2010, the name reached its peak year of usage, though it remains uncommon. Since 2010, its trajectory has been falling, and as of 2025 the name is not ranked among the top 1000. The Tolkien association gives Balin an adventurous literary flavor, appealing to parents drawn to fantasy literature. The name has not appeared on any state-level popularity lists, indicating its usage is extremely sparse across the country.
The name Balin has multiple possible origins, but its modern use as a given name is largely influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien's character Balin from The Hobbit (1937). In Tolkien's legendarium, Balin is a dwarf of the line of Durin. There is also an Old English name Balin, possibly derived from a short form of names beginning with beald- meaning 'bold'. However, given the name's rarity before the 1990s, the Tolkien association is almost certainly the primary influence on its adoption as a baby name.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Ballyn
Sibling names for Balin
Names that share Balin's style, for a brother or sister.
