Merrill
Merrill is a unisex given name of English origin.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Merrill
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Merrill is a unisex given name of English origin.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Merrill
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Merrill as a girl name dates back to 1905, when 5 babies received it. 1949 was its biggest year on record, with 52 newborns named Merrill — #1,265 in the national rankings. About 20% of every Merrill on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Merrill last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Merrill first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 13 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1926: 305 births, good for #331 nationwide. About 22% of every Merrill on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Merrill last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 13K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Merrill
Phonetically similar names — useful when Merrill 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 Merrill
What does the name Merrill mean?
What is the origin of the name Merrill?
How popular is Merrill in 2026?
When was Merrill most popular?
In which U.S. states is Merrill most popular?
Is Merrill a unisex name?
What names go well with Merrill?
About the name Merrill
Merrill is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 13K births in the dataset. Merrill's peak popularity came in 1926 when it ranked #331. Use the chart and map above to compare Merrill'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.