Merton
Merton is a masculine given name which may refer to:Montague Merton Barker (1867–1954), English first-class cricketer and international field hockey player Merton J. Batchelder (1896–1975), United States Marine Corps brigadier general Merton Bernfield (1938–2002), American pediatrician and cell biologist Merton Brown (1913–2001), American classical music composer Merton E.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Merton
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Merton is a masculine given name which may refer to:Montague Merton Barker (1867–1954), English first-class cricketer and international field hockey player Merton J. Batchelder (1896–1975), United States Marine Corps brigadier general Merton Bernfield (1938–2002), American pediatrician and cell biologist Merton Brown (1913–2001), American classical music composer Merton E.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Merton
Merton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 27 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 150 Mertons were born — ranking #493 that year. As of 2026, Merton ranks #8,866 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 4K Mertons 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 Merton
Phonetically similar names — useful when Merton 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 Merton
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About the name Merton
Merton is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Merton's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #493. Use the chart and map above to compare Merton's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1920 →
- 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.