Merit

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
#3,130
2025 · 51 births
Debut · girls
1965
6 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
316
since 1965

Merit over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank18801900192019401960198020002020peak #3,252, 1922girlsat peakboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#3,13051#4,53922
2024#7,25115#6,19914
2023#4,99926#7,28911
2022#7,63114#6,47913
2021#7,63014#7,08911
2020#8,95311#5,69915
2019#7,02516#6,77712
2018#11,4278#7,13611
2017#8,29913#6,06014
2016#9,41111#5,78915
2015#8,93112#7,49110
2014#10,9559#5,48516
2013#9,61211#7,53710
2012#12,1998—
2011#13,3477#10,8086
2010#8,27114#8,1399
2009—#12,4915
2008#15,4056#11,0376
2007#13,9247—
2006#11,4179—
2005#10,9219—
2004#14,1796—
2003#15,7845—
2002——
2001——
2000——
1999——
1998——
1997——
1996——
1995——
1994——
1993——
1992——
1991#13,1475—
1990——
1989——
1988——
1987——
1986#9,5456—
1985——
1984——
1983——
1982——
1981——
1980#10,3925—
1979——
1978——
1977——
1976——
1975——
1974——
1973——
1972——
1971——
1970#6,3627—
1969#7,4715—
1968——
1967——
1966——
1965#5,8176—
1964——
1963——
1962——
1961——
1960——
1959——
1958——
1957——
1956——
1955——
1954——
1953——
1952——
1951——
1950——
1949——
1948——
1947—#3,7335
1946——
1945——
1944——
1943——
1942——
1941——
1940——
1939——
1938——
1937——
1936——
1935——
1934——
1933——
1932——
1931——
1930——
1929——
1928——
1927——
1926——
1925——
1924——
1923——
1922—#3,2528
1921—#4,3225
1920——
1919—#4,1685
1918—#4,1795
1917——
1916——
1915——
1914——
1913——
1912——
1911——
1910——
1909——
1908——
1907——
1906——
1905——
1904——
1903——
1902——
1901——
1900——
1899——
1898——
1897——
1896——
1895——
1894——
1893——
1892——
1891——
1890——
1889——
1888——
1887——
1886——
1885——
1884——
1883——
1882——
1881——
1880——
First appearance
1965

The first year at least five girls were named Merit! It came in at #5,817, and was given to 6 baby girls.

Quietest stretch: 1966–1969, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Merit is popular in 2025

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #2,767 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 26,954 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedHITexas: #1,790 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 13,379 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Merit, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Texas#1,790 · 1 in 13,379
  2. California#2,767 · 1 in 26,954

Best ever in a state: #1,790 in Texas, 2025.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Texas#1,790121 in 13,379
California#2,76761 in 26,954
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Illinois———
Indiana———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Kentucky———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Michigan———
Minnesota———
Mississippi———
Missouri———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
New York———
North Carolina———
North Dakota———
Ohio———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Pennsylvania———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Utah———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Merit
Momentum · girls
Rising
  • 4,121 spots since 2024 (#7,251 → #3,130)
  • 5,823 spots since 2020 (#8,953 → #3,130)
  • 5,801 spots since 2015 (#8,931 → #3,130)
Rise & fade · girls
60 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1965
  • Peaked 2025 at #3,130 (51 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · girls
Never in the top 1,000
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: never
Share of babies · girls
1 in 31,515
  • Highest: 1 in 31,515 girls born in 2025 were named Merit (0.00%)
Era · girls
The 2020s
  • 41.5% of all girls named Merit (131) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 2021
  • Mostly boys until 2020, mostly girls since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1960s11#5,817 (1965)#6,644
1970s7#6,362 (1970)#6,362
1980s11#9,545 (1986)#9,969
1990s5#13,147 (1991)#13,147
2000s42#10,921 (2005)#13,605
2010s109#7,025 (2019)#9,948
2020s131#3,130 (2025)#6,599

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Want to check a specific year?

See where Merit ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: