Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Balin

Balin

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Balin

Pronounced BAY-lin /ˈbeɪ.lɪn/Medium

Meaning: Balin is a name from literature: Sir Balin the Savage is a tragic knight in Arthurian romance, and Balin is also a dwarf in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Its older roots are uncertain, but its life as a name is chiefly literary.Low

In 30 seconds: Balin is a literary name — an Arthurian knight and a Tolkien dwarf — with a crisp two-beat sound (said 'BAY-lin').
💕 Browse more names
Made for Balin
Balin
Custom knit blankets, embroidered with his name.
See Balin blankets
Amazon affiliate link
mamaraya
Affiliate link
🍼
Essentials for baby
Baby care from Dr. Talbot’s
Bottles, diapering, bath and nasal care — 23 picks.
Dr. Talbot’s · affiliate link
Shop baby essentials
Origin LowEnglish
MeaningBalin is a name from literature: Sir Balin the Savage is a tragic knight in Arthurian romance, and Balin is also a dwarf in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Its older roots are uncertain, but its life as a name is chiefly literary.
U.S. rank (2021)#10939 ↘ Falling
2021 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2006
Total births (all-time)≈ 421
🌸
Essentials for mom
What she’ll actually want in week one
Peri-bottle, nursing pads, postpartum ice packs — 29 picks from Dr. Talbot’s.
Dr. Talbot’s · affiliate link
Shop mom essentials

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200619922021

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Balin is best known from stories: Sir Balin, the ill-fated knight of Arthurian legend, and Balin son of Fundin, a dwarf in Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings'. Its deeper etymology is uncertain, so it is best read as a literary name whose appeal rests on those associations and its clean sound.

It has always been rare in the United States, its gentle rise through the 2000s in step with renewed interest in Tolkien's world on film. A Balin today is likely a child or young person, and the name remains an uncommon, story-rooted choice.

Did you know? Balin appeared in U.S. records around 1992 and crested in the mid-2000s, given to only a few dozen boys a year.
Overall data confidence 40%
References — Balin — Arthurian knight / Tolkien dwarf; deeper roots uncertain

Variations

BalenBalynBailin

Nicknames

BalLin

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Balin…

Kalin— a like two-beat -lin boys' name in sound
Dallin— a like modern -lin name of the era
Galen— a like literary-feeling boys' name
Braylin— the same modern feel
Brandin— echoes that soft -in sound

Explore names like Balin

By thememodernrareliterary

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Balin mean?

Balin is a literary name borne by an Arthurian knight and a dwarf in Tolkien's tales; its older roots are uncertain.

How do you pronounce Balin?

It's said BAY-lin /ˈbeɪ.lɪn/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Balin a boy or girl name?

Balin is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Balin?

Balin has always been rare in the U.S., a literary name that grew modestly in the two-thousands.

💬 Ask Nia