Girl · #15,152 in 2026

Merli

Name: Popularity of the name Merli in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Merli, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Merli is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include:Adalberto Maria Merli, Italian actor Corrado Merli, Italian footballer Danio Merli, Italian sprint canoeist Francesco Merli (1887–1976), Italian opera singer Franco Merli (1956–2025), Italian actor Gino J.

Current Rank

#15,152

Peak Rank

#11,624 (2004)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1987

First Year

2006

Last Year

2004

Peak Year

#11624

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Merli

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

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

The Story of Merli

Merli first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1987, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2004, when 8 Merlis were born — ranking #11,624 that year. As of 2026, Merli ranks #15,152 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 19 Merlis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Merli

Phonetically similar names — useful when Merli 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 Merli

What does the name Merli mean?

How popular is Merli in 2026?

In 2026, Merli ranks #15,152 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Merli most popular?

Merli reached its peak popularity in 2004, ranking #11,624 that year with 8 babies given the name.

Is Merli a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Merli is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Merli?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Merli include Liddy, Geraldyn, Angalee. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Merli

Merli is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1987 and has accumulated 19 births in the dataset. Merli's peak popularity came in 2004 when it ranked #11,624. Use the chart and map above to compare Merli'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.