Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1921

Merle

Meaning A male given name transferred from the surname Gender Unisex · 32% girls Rank 2025 #3,485 Trend ↑ Rising 25%

A male given name transferred from the surname.

Rank 2025
#3,485
among boys · ↑1,169 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
38
named Merle · +73% vs 2024
How common
1 in 51,760
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1921
1,275 babies
All-time total
45,389
#678 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Merle popularity over time

45,389 babies have been named Merle 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
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 163 207 370 37 – #287
1890s 717 378 1,095 110 +196% #254
1900s 1,066 651 1,717 172 +57% #216
1910s 2,820 4,645 7,465 747 +335% #170
1920s 3,603 7,970 11,573 1,157 +55% #171
1930s 2,497 5,800 8,297 830 -28% #196
1940s 2,154 4,187 6,341 634 -24% #254
1950s 1,151 3,031 4,182 418 -34% #339
1960s 363 1,503 1,866 187 -55% #580
1970s 94 929 1,023 102 -45% #657
1980s 57 502 559 56 -45% #1,115
1990s 23 292 315 32 -44% #2,197
2000s 10 214 224 22 -29% #3,038
2010s – 180 180 18 -20% #4,443
2020s (to 2025) 5 177 182 30 +69% #3,098

Where Merle 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 34 0.02 outside top 500
2027 36 0.02 outside top 500
2028 37 0.02 outside top 500
2029 38 0.02 outside top 500
2030 38 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Merle

Merle is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,485 in 2025 with 33 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 45,389 American babies have been named Merle, about 68% boys and 32% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1921, when 1,275 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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

How old are people named Merle?

The median living Merle is about 73 years old; half are between 61 and 82. An estimated 12 thousand people named Merle are alive in the United States today.

median 73 020406080100

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

Merle 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 #16,474 33 #3,485
2024 – – 22 #4,654
2023 – – 40 #3,098
2022 – – 27 #4,059
2021 – – 22 #4,589
2020 – – 33 #3,388
2019 – – 22 #4,589
2018 – – 23 #4,443
2017 – – 20 #4,874
2016 – – 14 #6,234
2015 – – 21 #4,653
2014 – – 15 #5,902
2013 – – 16 #5,556
2012 – – 9 #8,639
2011 – – 18 #5,122
2010 – – 22 #4,466
2009 – – 22 #4,534
2008 – – 19 #5,005
2007 – – 17 #5,351
2006 – – 26 #3,860
2005 – – 18 #4,765
2004 5 #17,897 21 #4,210
2003 5 #17,471 22 #3,922
2002 – – 13 #5,621
2001 – – 30 #3,038
2000 – – 26 #3,267
1995 6 #12,791 35 #2,279
1990 – – 33 #2,197
1985 – – 49 #1,406
1980 5 #11,496 59 #1,196
1975 8 #6,898 73 #963
1970 18 #3,524 131 #720
1965 24 #2,513 159 #608
1960 62 #1,398 176 #590
1955 115 #919 289 #431
1950 141 #721 395 #339
1945 205 #512 373 #307
1940 237 #443 467 #254
1935 270 #390 521 #226
1930 237 #437 711 #196
1925 404 #333 836 #175
1920 403 #324 819 #171
1915 353 #315 595 #186
1910 138 #334 100 #235
1905 110 #322 59 #256
1900 113 #315 54 #283
1895 91 #303 46 #265
1890 68 #307 26 #346
1885 16 #551 26 #337
1880 6 #810 17 #437

Famous people named Merle

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Merle Oberon Merle Oberon American-British actress (1911–1979) Contemporary
  2. 2 Merle Haggard Merle Haggard American singer-songwriter (1937–2016) Contemporary
  3. 3 Merle Travis Merle Travis American country/Western singer-songwriter and musician (1917–1983) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Merle?

The median living Merle is about 73 years old. Half of all living Merles are between 61 and 82 years old.

How many people named Merle are alive today?

An estimated 12 thousand people named Merle are alive in the United States, based on 45,389 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Merle mean?

A male given name transferred from the surname.

How popular is the name Merle in 2025?

Merle ranked #3,485 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 33 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Merle?

45,389 babies have been named Merle in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Merle most popular?

Merle peaked in 1921, when 1,275 newborns received the name.

Is Merle a boy or girl name?

Merle is used for both: about 32% of babies named Merle have been girls and 68% boys.

Is the name Merle rising or falling?

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

Will Merle become more popular?

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

Who are famous people named Merle?

Well-known people named Merle include Merle Oberon (actor), Merle Haggard (singer), Merle Travis (musician).

Names like Merle

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

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