Merritt
Merritt is a masculine and feminine given name. It is of British origin and is traditionally a male name. Notable people with the name include:Merritt Brunies (1895–1973), American jazz trombonist and cornetist Merritt Bucholz, American architect Merritt Butrick (1959–1989), American actor Merritt L.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Merritt
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Merritt is a masculine and feminine given name. It is of British origin and is traditionally a male name. Notable people with the name include:Merritt Brunies (1895–1973), American jazz trombonist and cornetist Merritt Bucholz, American architect Merritt Butrick (1959–1989), American actor Merritt L.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Merritt
As a girl name
Merritt first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1919, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2017: 175 births, good for #1,331 nationwide. About 32% of every Merritt on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Merritt ranks #1,422 for girls with 156 births, holding steady (+2%). All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Merritt as a boy name dates back to 1880, when 18 babies received it. 1924 was its biggest year on record, with 121 newborns named Merritt — #579 in the national rankings. As of 2026, Merritt ranks #1,911 for boys with 84 births, gradually falling (-10%). All told, over 6K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Merritt
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Merritt. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Merritt
Phonetically similar names — useful when Merritt 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 Merritt
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How popular is Merritt in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Merritt most popular?
Is Merritt a unisex name?
What names go well with Merritt?
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About the name Merritt
Merritt is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Merritt's peak popularity came in 1924 when it ranked #394. Use the chart and map above to compare Merritt's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1924 →
- 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.