Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2016

Mercer

Meaning Mercer is the given name of: Gender Unisex · 14% girls Rank 2025 #2,558 Trend ↑ Rising 20%

Mercer is the given name of:

Rank 2025
#2,558
among boys · ↑521 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
57
named Mercer · +14% vs 2024
How common
1 in 32,848
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2016
61 babies
All-time total
1,558
#4,253 all-time among boys
First recorded
1881
in Social Security records

Mercer popularity over time

1,558 babies have been named Mercer since 1881, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 10 10 1 – #967
1890s – 6 6 1 -40% #1,008
1900s – 6 6 1 0% #1,398
1910s 5 98 103 10 +1617% #1,765
1920s 17 162 179 18 +74% #1,482
1930s – 78 78 8 -56% #2,143
1940s – 100 100 10 +28% #1,844
1950s – 75 75 8 -25% #2,331
1960s – 48 48 5 -36% #2,619
1970s – 19 19 2 -60% #4,097
1980s – 6 6 1 -68% #7,591
1990s – 42 42 4 +600% #4,936
2000s 35 155 190 19 +352% #3,759
2010s 101 308 409 41 +115% #2,752
2020s (to 2025) 55 232 287 48 +17% #2,558

Where Mercer is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 54 0.03 outside top 500
2027 55 0.03 outside top 500
2028 57 0.03 outside top 500
2029 58 0.03 outside top 500
2030 59 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Mercer

Mercer is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,558 in 2025 with 52 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1881, 1,558 American babies have been named Mercer, about 86% boys and 14% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2016, when 61 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Mercer stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Mercer?

The median living Mercer is about 11 years old; half are between 5 and 22. An estimated 1,100 people named Mercer are alive in the United States today.

median 11 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Mercer year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 5 #16,473 52 #2,558
2024 10 #10,011 40 #3,079
2023 11 #9,404 34 #3,459
2022 7 #13,130 34 #3,445
2021 11 #9,355 40 #3,058
2020 11 #9,347 32 #3,465
2019 5 #17,201 37 #3,175
2018 11 #9,606 38 #3,086
2017 14 #8,141 34 #3,353
2016 17 #7,123 44 #2,752
2015 8 #12,627 37 #3,133
2014 16 #7,538 28 #3,749
2013 12 #9,426 28 #3,721
2012 7 #14,518 19 #4,975
2011 5 #18,626 27 #3,860
2010 6 #16,303 16 #5,646
2009 6 #16,576 19 #5,045
2008 7 #14,875 19 #5,004
2007 – – 28 #3,759
2006 7 #14,605 8 #9,286
2005 – – 14 #5,776
2004 10 #10,443 17 #4,929
2003 5 #17,467 13 #5,776
2002 – – 10 #6,879
2001 – – 16 #4,824
2000 – – 11 #6,186
1995 – – 5 #9,809
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – 7 #4,097
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – 5 #4,205
1950 – – 5 #4,021
1945 – – 8 #2,691
1940 – – 8 #2,799
1935 – – 9 #2,651
1930 – – 14 #2,143
1925 – – 26 #1,482
1920 – – 20 #1,798
1915 – – 11 #2,400
1910 – – 5 #1,765
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Mercer, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Mercer?

The median living Mercer is about 11 years old. Half of all living Mercers are between 5 and 22 years old.

How many people named Mercer are alive today?

An estimated 1,100 people named Mercer are alive in the United States, based on 1,558 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Mercer mean?

Mercer is the given name of:

How popular is the name Mercer in 2025?

Mercer ranked #2,558 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 52 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Mercer?

1,558 babies have been named Mercer in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Mercer most popular?

Mercer peaked in 2016, when 61 newborns received the name.

Is Mercer a boy or girl name?

Mercer is used for both: about 14% of babies named Mercer have been girls and 86% boys.

Is the name Mercer rising or falling?

Mercer is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Mercer become more popular?

Mercer is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 59 boys named Mercer in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Mercer

Names that sound and feel close to Mercer: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Mercer with similar names → More names starting with M →