Merlon
A merlon is the solid, upright section of a battlement in medieval architecture or fortifications. Merlons are sometimes pierced by narrow, vertical embrasures, or tooth-like slits designed for observation and fire. The space between two merlons is called a crenel, and a succession of merlons and crenels is a crenellation.
Meaning & Origin of Merlon
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
A merlon is the solid, upright section of a battlement in medieval architecture or fortifications. Merlons are sometimes pierced by narrow, vertical embrasures, or tooth-like slits designed for observation and fire. The space between two merlons is called a crenel, and a succession of merlons and crenels is a crenellation.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
The Story of Merlon
The earliest SSA record of Merlon as a baby boy name dates back to 1917, when 5 babies received it. 1922 was its biggest year on record, with 10 newborns named Merlon — #2,801 in the national rankings. About 35% of every Merlon on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Merlon last appeared in the published SSA data in 1973, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 176 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Merlon
Phonetically similar names — useful when Merlon 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 Merlon
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About the name Merlon
Merlon is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 176 births in the dataset. Merlon's peak popularity came in 1922 when it ranked #2,801. Use the chart and map above to compare Merlon's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1922 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.