Kerlin Surname: Origin, Meaning & Coat of Arms

Looking for a Kerlin coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours.

Family name meaning

It is easy to miss Kerlin in an index if you only search for Carlin. Taken at its root, Kerlin points to “Descendant of Caireallán”.

Before spelling was fixed, Carlin was also written Kerlin. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. You may also find the name written Carlan and Carland. The 2010 census count for Kerlin in the United States was 2,296, good for rank 13,283. It sits among the 25,000 most common last names in the country.

Want more than a summary? See the Kerlin family name pack.