Merci: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,502

among girls · ↑944 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Merci · +25% vs 2024

How common

1 in 36,529

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2019

74 babies

All-time total

1,055

#7,562 all-time among girls

First recorded

1963

in Social Security records

Merci popularity over time

1,055 babies have been named Merci since 1963, 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

GirlsBoys

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	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1960s	25	–	25	3	–	#4,513
1970s	64	–	64	6	+156%	#4,746
1980s	46	–	46	5	-28%	#6,202
1990s	44	–	44	4	-4%	#10,049
2000s	161	–	161	16	+266%	#5,030
2010s	365	11	376	38	+134%	#2,556
2020s (to 2025)	286	53	339	57	+50%	#2,655

Where Merci is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (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 girls	Implied rank
2026	42	0.03	outside top 500
2027	41	0.03	outside top 500
2028	40	0.02	outside top 500
2029	39	0.02	outside top 500
2030	38	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Merci

Merci is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,502 in 2025 with 44 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1963, 1,055 American babies have been named Merci, about 94% girls and 6% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2019, when 74 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 Merci stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Merci?

The median living Merci is about 9 years old; half are between 4 and 20. An estimated 1,000 people named Merci are alive in the United States today.

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

Merci 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	44	#3,502	11	#7,509
2024	32	#4,446	12	#7,115
2023	49	#3,314	5	#13,494
2022	66	#2,655	8	#9,556
2021	48	#3,328	10	#7,958
2020	47	#3,320	7	#10,234
2019	69	#2,556	5	#13,462
2018	51	#3,190	6	#11,675
2017	47	#3,373	–	–
2016	45	#3,503	–	–
2015	32	#4,465	–	–
2014	34	#4,332	–	–
2013	26	#5,259	–	–
2012	19	#6,787	–	–
2011	23	#5,877	–	–
2010	19	#6,815	–	–
2009	23	#6,028	–	–
2008	18	#7,294	–	–
2007	12	#9,972	–	–
2006	15	#8,114	–	–
2005	22	#5,722	–	–
2004	8	#12,370	–	–
2003	15	#7,461	–	–
2002	24	#5,030	–	–
2001	16	#6,864	–	–
2000	8	#11,440	–	–
1995	6	#12,790	–	–
1990	–	–	–	–
1985	–	–	–	–
1980	5	#11,487	–	–
1975	7	#7,672	–	–
1970	6	#7,650	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Merci?

The median living Merci is about 9 years old. Half of all living Mercis are between 4 and 20 years old.

How many people named Merci are alive today?

An estimated 1,000 people named Merci are alive in the United States, based on 1,055 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Merci mean?

Spelling variant of Mercy.

How popular is the name Merci in 2025?

Merci ranked #3,502 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 44 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Merci?

1,055 babies have been named Merci in the United States since 1963, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Merci most popular?

Merci peaked in 2019, when 74 newborns received the name.

Is Merci a boy or girl name?

Merci is used for both: about 94% of babies named Merci have been girls and 6% boys.

Is the name Merci rising or falling?

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

Will Merci become more popular?

Merci is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 38 girls named Merci in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Merci

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

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