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
Merrill first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1905, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1949, when 52 Merrills were born — ranking #1,265 that year. As of 2026, Merrill ranks #12,120 for girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 2K Merrills have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through 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. Its peak popularity came in 1926, when 305 Merrills were born — ranking #331 that year. As of 2026, Merrill ranks #10,889 for boys with 6 births, holding steady (-3%). In total, more than 13K Merrills have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through 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
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Is Merrill a unisex name?
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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.