Merl
Last seen for girls in 1966 at #6,564 · Last seen for boys in 1986 at #6,721
Given to boys 90.3% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1907 · 18 births
- Debut · boys
- 7 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 2,574since 1886
Merl over time
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | — | ||
| 2024 | — | — | ||
| 2023 | — | — | ||
| 2022 | — | — | ||
| 2021 | — | — | ||
| 2020 | — | — | ||
| 2019 | — | — | ||
| 2018 | — | — | ||
| 2017 | — | — | ||
| 2016 | — | — | ||
| 2015 | — | — | ||
| 2014 | — | — | ||
| 2013 | — | — | ||
| 2012 | — | — | ||
| 2011 | — | — | ||
| 2010 | — | — | ||
| 2009 | — | — | ||
| 2008 | — | — | ||
| 2007 | — | — | ||
| 2006 | — | — | ||
| 2005 | — | — | ||
| 2004 | — | — | ||
| 2003 | — | — | ||
| 2002 | — | — | ||
| 2001 | — | — | ||
| 2000 | — | — | ||
| 1999 | — | — | ||
| 1998 | — | — | ||
| 1997 | — | — | ||
| 1996 | — | — | ||
| 1995 | — | — | ||
| 1994 | — | — | ||
| 1993 | — | — | ||
| 1992 | — | — | ||
| 1991 | — | — | ||
| 1990 | — | — | ||
| 1989 | — | — | ||
| 1988 | — | — | ||
| 1987 | — | — | ||
| 1986 | — | #6,721 | 5 | |
| 1985 | — | #6,523 | 5 | |
| 1984 | — | #6,315 | 5 | |
| 1983 | — | — | ||
| 1982 | — | — | ||
| 1981 | — | — | ||
| 1980 | — | — | ||
| 1979 | — | — | ||
| 1978 | — | — | ||
| 1977 | — | #4,164 | 8 | |
| 1976 | — | #4,935 | 6 | |
| 1975 | — | #4,309 | 7 | |
| 1974 | — | #3,318 | 10 | |
| 1973 | — | #3,223 | 10 | |
| 1972 | — | #2,659 | 13 | |
| 1971 | — | #3,963 | 7 | |
| 1970 | — | #3,521 | 8 | |
| 1969 | — | #2,308 | 14 | |
| 1968 | — | #2,735 | 10 | |
| 1967 | — | #2,242 | 13 | |
| 1966 | #6,564 | 5 | #3,537 | 6 |
| 1965 | — | #2,084 | 15 | |
| 1964 | — | #2,040 | 16 | |
| 1963 | — | #1,628 | 24 | |
| 1962 | — | #2,364 | 12 | |
| 1961 | — | #1,778 | 21 | |
| 1960 | — | #2,210 | 14 | |
| 1959 | — | #1,916 | 18 | |
| 1958 | — | #1,534 | 26 | |
| 1957 | — | #1,715 | 22 | |
| 1956 | — | #1,568 | 25 | |
| 1955 | — | #1,572 | 24 | |
| 1954 | — | #1,956 | 16 | |
| 1953 | — | #1,357 | 31 | |
| 1952 | — | #1,213 | 37 | |
| 1951 | #4,833 | 6 | #1,295 | 32 |
| 1950 | — | #1,232 | 34 | |
| 1949 | — | #1,322 | 30 | |
| 1948 | — | #1,091 | 42 | |
| 1947 | — | #1,190 | 37 | |
| 1946 | — | #1,409 | 25 | |
| 1945 | — | #1,227 | 29 | |
| 1944 | — | #1,212 | 30 | |
| 1943 | — | #1,088 | 39 | |
| 1942 | #4,124 | 6 | #1,119 | 37 |
| 1941 | #4,420 | 5 | #1,230 | 29 |
| 1940 | #3,503 | 7 | #1,156 | 33 |
| 1939 | #4,250 | 5 | #1,272 | 27 |
| 1938 | — | #977 | 42 | |
| 1937 | #4,255 | 5 | #942 | 44 |
| 1936 | #3,103 | 8 | #940 | 43 |
| 1935 | #3,156 | 8 | #1,194 | 31 |
| 1934 | — | #931 | 46 | |
| 1933 | #3,753 | 6 | #1,144 | 33 |
| 1932 | — | #937 | 48 | |
| 1931 | — | #879 | 53 | |
| 1930 | #3,055 | 9 | #1,037 | 44 |
| 1929 | #3,394 | 8 | #844 | 60 |
| 1928 | #4,725 | 5 | #846 | 61 |
| 1927 | #3,561 | 8 | #825 | 65 |
| 1926 | #2,351 | 15 | #776 | 70 |
| 1925 | #3,362 | 9 | #786 | 70 |
| 1924 | #2,661 | 13 | #838 | 66 |
| 1923 | #3,125 | 10 | #791 | 70 |
| 1922 | #3,379 | 9 | #717 | 83 |
| 1921 | #4,464 | 6 | #780 | 74 |
| 1920 | #2,357 | 15 | #766 | 74 |
| 1919 | #3,219 | 9 | #686 | 82 |
| 1918 | #2,822 | 11 | #710 | 79 |
| 1917 | #2,693 | 11 | #749 | 69 |
| 1916 | #3,919 | 6 | #690 | 74 |
| 1915 | #2,688 | 10 | #804 | 57 |
| 1914 | #2,125 | 11 | #724 | 52 |
| 1913 | #3,187 | 5 | #759 | 38 |
| 1912 | #1,620 | 12 | #783 | 31 |
| 1911 | — | #1,190 | 9 | |
| 1910 | — | #928 | 12 | |
| 1909 | — | #1,155 | 7 | |
| 1908 | #1,676 | 7 | #825 | 11 |
| 1907 | — | #591 | 18 | |
| 1906 | #1,951 | 5 | #1,004 | 7 |
| 1905 | — | — | ||
| 1904 | — | #966 | 7 | |
| 1903 | #1,440 | 7 | #910 | 7 |
| 1902 | — | #1,137 | 5 | |
| 1901 | — | #858 | 7 | |
| 1900 | — | — | ||
| 1899 | — | #661 | 10 | |
| 1898 | #1,263 | 8 | #1,121 | 5 |
| 1897 | — | #787 | 8 | |
| 1896 | — | #778 | 9 | |
| 1895 | #1,202 | 8 | #1,079 | 5 |
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | #907 | 6 | |
| 1892 | — | #956 | 6 | |
| 1891 | — | #635 | 9 | |
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | #679 | 8 | |
| 1886 | — | #758 | 7 | |
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five boys were named Merl! It came in at #758, and was given to 7 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1888–1890, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.
Where Merl is popular in 1925
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Oklahoma#316 · 1 in 2,868
- Iowa#319 · 1 in 4,104
- Indiana#327 · 1 in 5,149
- Missouri#419 · 1 in 5,930
- Pennsylvania#507 · 1 in 14,717
Best ever in a state: #175 in South Dakota, 1924.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | #316 | 8 | 1 in 2,868 |
| Iowa | #319 | 5 | 1 in 4,104 |
| Indiana | #327 | 5 | 1 in 5,149 |
| Missouri | #419 | 5 | 1 in 5,930 |
| Pennsylvania | #507 | 6 | 1 in 14,717 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Texas | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys 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 Merl
- Not published in 2025; last seen 1986
- Biggest jump: 460 spots in 1899 (#1,121 → #661)
- Biggest drop: 334 spots in 1898 (#787 → #1,121)
- Debuted 1886
- Peaked 1907 at #591 (18 births)
- Births halved by 1909, 2 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 38 yrs · run 1912–1929
- Highest: 1 in 8,157 boys born in 1907 were named Merl (0.01%)
- Latest: 1 in 368,303 boys born in 1986 (0.00%)
- 26.9% of all boys named Merl (693) were born in this decade
- Mostly girls until 1903, mostly boys since
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 15 | #679 (1887) | #719 |
| 1890s | 58 | #635 (1891) | #866 |
| 1900s | 69 | #591 (1907) | #931 |
| 1910s | 503 | #686 (1919) | #802 |
| 1920s | 693 | #717 (1922) | #797 |
| 1930s | 411 | #879 (1931) | #1,025 |
| 1940s | 331 | #1,088 (1943) | #1,204 |
| 1950s | 265 | #1,213 (1952) | #1,536 |
| 1960s | 145 | #1,628 (1963) | #2,293 |
| 1970s | 69 | #2,659 (1972) | #3,762 |
| 1980s | 15 | #6,315 (1984) | #6,520 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Merl in 1925
Top girls' names in 1925
Top boys' names in 1925
More about 1925
girls
1,217,384 girls got a published name in 1925; 1 in 135,265 of them was named Merl, which outranked 41.7% of the 5,771 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #3,116Wonda10
- #3,116Yvonna10
- #3,116Zela10
- #3,362Merl9
- #3,362Adabelle9
- #3,362Adine9
- #3,362Al9
- #3,664Adalyn8
- #3,664Adrianne8
- #3,664Agusta8
Tied with 301 names at #3,362; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,115,919 boys got a published name in 1925; 1 in 15,942 of them was named Merl, which outranked 83.9% of the 4,867 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).