Merida: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,677

among girls · ↓226 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Merida · -12% vs 2024

How common

1 in 24,727

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2017

116 babies

All-time total

1,572

#5,540 all-time among girls

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Merida popularity over time

1,572 babies have been named Merida since 1880, 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	–	5	5	1	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	6	–	6	1	–	#4,240
1920s	17	–	17	2	+183%	#3,929
1930s	46	–	46	5	+171%	#2,875
1940s	65	–	65	7	+41%	#2,951
1950s	50	–	50	5	-23%	#3,611
1960s	66	–	66	7	+32%	#4,396
1970s	59	–	59	6	-11%	#4,985
1980s	43	–	43	4	-27%	#6,180
1990s	20	–	20	2	-53%	#10,207
2000s	10	–	10	1	-50%	#17,046
2010s	719	–	719	72	+7090%	#1,796
2020s (to 2025)	466	–	466	78	+8%	#2,045

Where Merida 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	63	0.04	outside top 500
2027	61	0.04	outside top 500
2028	60	0.04	outside top 500
2029	59	0.04	outside top 500
2030	58	0.04	outside top 500

Where Merida is most popular

Girls named Merida per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.046 per 1,000. Strongest in Missouri, Texas, and California.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Merida born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Missouri	10	0.083	+80%
Texas	48	0.060	+29%
California	49	0.058	+26%
Indiana	7	0.050	+8%
Ohio	11	0.046	≈ national
Washington	5	0.035	-25%
Florida	11	0.026	-44%
Georgia	5	0.022	-52%
Pennsylvania	5	0.021	-54%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
New York	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Merida

Merida is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,677 in 2025 with 65 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 1,572 American babies have been named Merida. Its peak came in 2017, when 116 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 Merida stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Merida?

The median living Merida is about 8 years old; half are between 4 and 12. An estimated 1,500 people named Merida 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.

Merida 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	65	#2,677	–	–
2024	74	#2,451	–	–
2023	66	#2,664	–	–
2022	80	#2,334	–	–
2021	90	#2,114	–	–
2020	91	#2,045	–	–
2019	85	#2,186	–	–
2018	85	#2,202	–	–
2017	116	#1,796	–	–
2016	102	#1,967	–	–
2015	99	#2,009	–	–
2014	103	#1,949	–	–
2013	110	#1,842	–	–
2012	19	#6,788	–	–
2011	–	–	–	–
2010	–	–	–	–
2009	–	–	–	–
2008	–	–	–	–
2007	–	–	–	–
2006	–	–	–	–
2005	–	–	–	–
2004	–	–	–	–
2003	–	–	–	–
2002	5	#17,218	–	–
2001	5	#17,046	–	–
2000	–	–	–	–
1995	–	–	–	–
1990	5	#14,417	–	–
1985	5	#11,813	–	–
1980	11	#6,180	–	–
1975	10	#5,818	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	9	#4,719	–	–
1960	9	#4,662	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	6	#4,375	–	–
1940	6	#4,195	–	–
1935	5	#4,681	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	5	#1,013

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Merida?

The median living Merida is about 8 years old. Half of all living Meridas are between 4 and 12 years old.

How many people named Merida are alive today?

An estimated 1,500 people named Merida are alive in the United States, based on 1,572 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Merida mean?

Uncertain. Possibly a coinage based on Mary, or transferred from the Spanish place name Mérida.

How popular is the name Merida in 2025?

Merida ranked #2,677 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 65 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Merida?

1,572 babies have been named Merida in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Merida most popular?

Merida peaked in 2017, when 116 newborns received the name.

Is Merida a boy or girl name?

Merida is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Merida rising or falling?

Merida is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Merida become more popular?

Merida is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 58 girls named Merida in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Merida

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

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