Girl · #7,832 in 2026

Meri

Meri is both an Estonian and Finnish surname meaning "sea" and a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:SurnameArnold Meri (1919–2009), Soviet World War II veteran and Soviet Estonian politician Enn Meri, Estonian politician Georg Meri (1900–1983), Estonian diplomat, writer and translator Helle Meri (1949–2024), Estonian actress, First Lady of Estonia 1992–2001, wife of…

  • Finnish
  • Georgian
  • Armenian
  • Greek
Current Rank
#7,832
Peak Rank
#1,157 (1961)
Total Babies
3K
5-Yr Trend
+23%
1917
First Year
2026
Last Year
1961
Peak Year
#1157
Peak Rank
3K
Total Count
94
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Meri

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Meri is both an Estonian and Finnish surname meaning "sea" and a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:SurnameArnold Meri (1919–2009), Soviet World War II veteran and Soviet Estonian politician Enn Meri, Estonian politician Georg Meri (1900–1983), Estonian diplomat, writer and translator Helle Meri (1949–2024), Estonian actress, First Lady of Estonia 1992–2001, wife of…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Finnish
  • Georgian
  • Armenian
  • Greek

The Story of Meri

Meri first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1917, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1961: 89 births, good for #1,168 nationwide. About 26% of every Meri on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Meri ranks #7,832 for baby girls with 13 births, rising sharply (+23% over the past five years). All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Meri

Phonetically similar names — useful when Meri 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 Meri

What does the name Meri mean?
Meri is both an Estonian and Finnish surname meaning "sea" and a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:SurnameArnold Meri (1919–2009), Soviet World War II veteran and Soviet Estonian politician Enn Meri, Estonian politician Georg Meri (1900–1983), Estonian diplomat, writer and translator Helle Meri (1949–2024), Estonian actress, First Lady of Estonia 1992–2001, wife of…
What is the origin of the name Meri?
Meri has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Finnish, Georgian, Armenian, Greek.
How popular is Meri in 2026?
In 2026, Meri ranks #7,832 among girls' names in the U.S., with 13 babies given the name that year.
When was Meri most popular?
Meri reached its peak popularity in 1961, ranking #1,157 that year with 89 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Meri most popular?
Meri has historically been most popular in Washington, Wisconsin, Iowa. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Meri.
Is Meri a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Meri is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Meri?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Meri include Shakia, Samaya, Shakiyla. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Shakia
Peak #1157
👧
Samaya
Peak #1157
👧
Shakiyla
Peak #1157
👧
Bryce
Peak #1156
👧
Lesha
Peak #1156
👧
Shizue
Peak #1155
👧
Aiko
Peak #1155
👧
Sindy
Peak #1159

About the name Meri

Meri is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Meri's peak popularity came in 1961 when it ranked #1,157. Use the chart and map above to compare Meri's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.