Merlene
- Last seen for girls in 1984 at #10,422
- Peak · girls
- 1940 · 93 births
- Debut · girls
- 5 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 2,379since 1913
Merlene over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Merlene has never cracked the top 700 here.
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
| Year | girls | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | — | |
| 1985 | — | |
| 1984 | #10,422 | 5 |
| 1983 | — | |
| 1982 | #9,237 | 6 |
| 1981 | — | |
| 1980 | — | |
| 1979 | — | |
| 1978 | #8,562 | 6 |
| 1977 | #7,567 | 7 |
| 1976 | — | |
| 1975 | — | |
| 1974 | #7,680 | 6 |
| 1973 | #6,080 | 8 |
| 1972 | #6,558 | 7 |
| 1971 | #6,619 | 7 |
| 1970 | #4,492 | 12 |
| 1969 | #3,958 | 13 |
| 1968 | #7,016 | 5 |
| 1967 | #3,484 | 14 |
| 1966 | #2,839 | 19 |
| 1965 | #2,833 | 19 |
| 1964 | #3,379 | 15 |
| 1963 | #2,864 | 19 |
| 1962 | #2,605 | 22 |
| 1961 | #2,411 | 25 |
| 1960 | #2,097 | 30 |
| 1959 | #1,741 | 40 |
| 1958 | #1,703 | 40 |
| 1957 | #1,808 | 36 |
| 1956 | #1,738 | 37 |
| 1955 | #1,445 | 49 |
| 1954 | #1,585 | 41 |
| 1953 | #1,410 | 48 |
| 1952 | #1,454 | 44 |
| 1951 | #1,339 | 48 |
| 1950 | #1,302 | 49 |
| 1949 | #1,335 | 47 |
| 1948 | #1,209 | 56 |
| 1947 | #1,302 | 49 |
| 1946 | #961 | 75 |
| 1945 | #1,022 | 57 |
| 1944 | #953 | 66 |
| 1943 | #1,006 | 62 |
| 1942 | #936 | 70 |
| 1941 | #970 | 57 |
| 1940 | #721 | 93 |
| 1939 | #882 | 63 |
| 1938 | #764 | 83 |
| 1937 | #752 | 81 |
| 1936 | #785 | 74 |
| 1935 | #763 | 79 |
| 1934 | #815 | 68 |
| 1933 | #801 | 69 |
| 1932 | #891 | 62 |
| 1931 | #844 | 66 |
| 1930 | #1,144 | 42 |
| 1929 | #959 | 56 |
| 1928 | #1,015 | 54 |
| 1927 | #1,523 | 29 |
| 1926 | #1,483 | 30 |
| 1925 | #1,700 | 25 |
| 1924 | #1,328 | 37 |
| 1923 | #1,736 | 24 |
| 1922 | #2,109 | 18 |
| 1921 | #2,048 | 19 |
| 1920 | #2,357 | 15 |
| 1919 | #1,698 | 23 |
| 1918 | #2,289 | 15 |
| 1917 | #3,713 | 7 |
| 1916 | #2,498 | 12 |
| 1915 | #3,434 | 7 |
| 1914 | #2,876 | 7 |
| 1913 | #3,187 | 5 |
| 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
1913
The first year at least five girls were named Merlene! It came in at #3,187, and was given to 5 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1975–1976, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.
Where Merlene is popular in 2025
No state had 5 or more girls named Merlene in 2025, so the SSA doesn't publish it for any state.
See more about Merlene
Momentum · girls
Faded out
- Not published in 2025; last seen 1984
- Biggest jump: 300 spots in 1931
- Biggest drop: 341 spots in 1947
Rise & fade · girls
27 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1913
- Peaked 1940 at #721 (93 births)
- Births halved by 1952, 12 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 15 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 15 yrs · run 1931–1942
Share of babies · girls
1 in 12,296
- Highest: 1 in 12,296 girls born in 1940 were named Merlene (0.01%)
- Latest: 1 in 336,763 girls born in 1984 (0.00%)
Era · girls
The 1930s
- 28.9% of all girls named Merlene (687) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 76 | #1,698 (1919) | #2,814 |
| 1920s | 307 | #959 (1929) | #1,626 |
| 1930s | 687 | #752 (1937) | #844 |
| 1940s | 632 | #721 (1940) | #1,042 |
| 1950s | 432 | #1,302 (1950) | #1,553 |
| 1960s | 181 | #2,097 (1960) | #3,349 |
| 1970s | 53 | #4,492 (1970) | #6,794 |
| 1980s | 11 | #9,237 (1982) | #9,830 |
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 Merlene ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: