Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1926

Merrill

Meaning A unisex given name Gender Unisex · 14% girls Rank 2025 #6,333 Trend ↑ Rising 15%

A unisex given name. A male given name.

Rank 2025
#6,333
among boys · ↑5,541 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
22
named Merrill
How common
1 in 122,005
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1926
321 babies
All-time total
15,065
#1,049 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Merrill popularity over time

15,065 babies have been named Merrill 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
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 111 111 11 – #391
1890s – 201 201 20 +81% #350
1900s 16 317 333 33 +66% #346
1910s 94 1,880 1,974 197 +493% #321
1920s 139 2,820 2,959 296 +50% #331
1930s 149 2,298 2,447 245 -17% #341
1940s 326 1,941 2,267 227 -7% #388
1950s 419 1,446 1,865 187 -18% #526
1960s 253 774 1,027 103 -45% #732
1970s 127 468 595 60 -42% #1,142
1980s 167 318 485 49 -18% #1,336
1990s 146 192 338 34 -30% #2,080
2000s 104 84 188 19 -44% #6,104
2010s 96 91 187 19 -1% #6,946
2020s (to 2025) 41 47 88 15 -22% #6,333

The story of Merrill

Merrill is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #6,333 in 2025 with 14 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 15,065 American babies have been named Merrill, about 86% boys and 14% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1926, when 321 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 Merrill stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Merrill?

The median living Merrill is about 67 years old; half are between 49 and 77. An estimated 5,700 people named Merrill are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

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

Merrill 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 8 #11,580 14 #6,333
2024 7 #13,017 6 #11,874
2023 – – 7 #10,417
2022 7 #13,132 8 #9,558
2021 10 #10,071 6 #11,677
2020 9 #10,834 6 #11,525
2019 12 #8,938 10 #8,009
2018 6 #15,042 8 #9,365
2017 7 #13,642 6 #11,710
2016 14 #8,267 11 #7,452
2015 12 #9,327 12 #6,946
2014 7 #14,087 7 #10,361
2013 8 #12,779 6 #11,693
2012 11 #10,196 8 #9,422
2011 9 #11,851 11 #7,333
2010 10 #10,977 12 #6,953
2009 10 #11,228 6 #11,965
2008 12 #9,892 11 #7,546
2007 12 #9,974 9 #8,676
2006 14 #8,566 8 #9,287
2005 7 #13,997 13 #6,104
2004 11 #9,685 11 #6,828
2003 9 #11,011 10 #7,069
2002 10 #10,003 – –
2001 9 #10,722 7 #8,921
2000 10 #9,652 9 #7,210
1995 17 #5,603 18 #3,651
1990 20 #4,809 24 #2,750
1985 18 #4,385 27 #2,106
1980 24 #3,467 50 #1,336
1975 10 #5,820 42 #1,354
1970 19 #3,387 49 #1,190
1965 19 #2,893 69 #889
1960 32 #2,042 111 #732
1955 46 #1,507 148 #612
1950 52 #1,280 164 #526
1945 33 #1,410 171 #454
1940 19 #1,877 215 #388
1935 22 #1,642 188 #398
1930 8 #3,558 260 #352
1925 18 #2,166 292 #340
1920 17 #2,233 289 #345
1915 11 #2,648 261 #326
1910 – – 39 #443
1905 5 #2,138 35 #352
1900 – – 23 #485
1895 – – 25 #387
1890 – – 14 #525
1885 – – 10 #626
1880 – – 13 #515

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Merrill?

The median living Merrill is about 67 years old. Half of all living Merrills are between 49 and 77 years old.

How many people named Merrill are alive today?

An estimated 5,700 people named Merrill are alive in the United States, based on 15,065 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Merrill mean?

A unisex given name. A male given name.

How popular is the name Merrill in 2025?

Merrill ranked #6,333 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 14 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Merrill?

15,065 babies have been named Merrill in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Merrill most popular?

Merrill peaked in 1926, when 321 newborns received the name.

Is Merrill a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Merrill rising or falling?

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

Names like Merrill

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

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