Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2023

Mercury

Meaning Mercury is both a surname and a given name Gender Unisex · 31% girls Rank 2025 #8,030

Mercury is both a surname and a given name.

Rank 2025
#8,030
among boys · ↑97 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
10
named Mercury
How common
1 in 170,808
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2023
32 babies
All-time total
300
#11,021 all-time among boys
First recorded
1972
in Social Security records

Mercury popularity over time

300 babies have been named Mercury since 1972, 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
00.010.010.0218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – 30 30 3 – #3,152
1980s – – – – – –
1990s – 28 28 3 – #6,912
2000s 6 16 22 2 -21% #11,578
2010s 32 62 94 9 +327% #7,383
2020s (to 2025) 56 70 126 21 +123% #5,836

The story of Mercury

Mercury is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #8,030 in 2025 with 10 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1972, 300 American babies have been named Mercury, about 69% boys and 31% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2023, when 32 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Mercury stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Mercury?

The median living Mercury is about 7 years old; half are between 3 and 16. An estimated 300 people named Mercury are alive in the United States today.

median 7 020406080100

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

Mercury 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 – – 10 #8,030
2024 – – 10 #8,127
2023 16 #7,154 16 #5,836
2022 14 #7,914 14 #6,366
2021 11 #9,356 15 #5,945
2020 15 #7,452 5 #13,394
2019 8 #12,075 9 #8,643
2018 8 #12,125 9 #8,604
2017 5 #17,580 11 #7,383
2016 6 #15,593 5 #13,537
2015 5 #18,249 9 #8,484
2014 – – 7 #10,359
2013 – – – –
2012 – – 5 #13,552
2011 – – – –
2010 – – 7 #10,389
2009 6 #16,577 5 #13,811
2008 – – – –
2007 – – – –
2006 – – 6 #11,578
2005 – – – –
2004 – – – –
2003 – – – –
2002 – – – –
2001 – – 5 #11,726
2000 – – – –
1995 – – 6 #8,515
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – 7 #4,632
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Mercury?

The median living Mercury is about 7 years old. Half of all living Mercurys are between 3 and 16 years old.

How many people named Mercury are alive today?

An estimated 300 people named Mercury are alive in the United States, based on 300 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Mercury mean?

Mercury is both a surname and a given name.

How popular is the name Mercury in 2025?

Mercury ranked #8,030 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 10 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Mercury?

300 babies have been named Mercury in the United States since 1972, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Mercury most popular?

Mercury peaked in 2023, when 32 newborns received the name.

Is Mercury a boy or girl name?

Mercury is used for both: about 31% of babies named Mercury have been girls and 69% boys.

Is the name Mercury rising or falling?

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

Names like Mercury

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

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