Merel
Merel is a Dutch feminine given name, probably after the identical Dutch name for the blackbird. It has also been used as a surname.
Meaning & Origin of Merel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Merel is a Dutch feminine given name, probably after the identical Dutch name for the blackbird. It has also been used as a surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Merel
As a girl name
Merel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1920, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 9 Merels were born — ranking #3,340 that year. As of 2026, Merel ranks #4,740 for girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 35 Merels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Merel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1913, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1926, when 14 Merels were born — ranking #2,186 that year. As of 2026, Merel ranks #4,375 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 205 Merels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Merel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Merel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Merel
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About the name Merel
Merel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 205 births in the dataset. Merel's peak popularity came in 1926 when it ranked #2,186. Use the chart and map above to compare Merel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1926 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.