Merritt
- #703 for girls in 2025, 401 births
- #1,499 for boys in 2025, 117 births
- Given to boys 65.6% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1899 · 22 births
- Debut · boys
- 18 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 6,151since 1880
Merritt over time
girlsboys
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
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 | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #703 | 401 | #1,499 | 117 |
| 2024 | #1,406 | 159 | #1,891 | 84 |
| 2023 | #1,557 | 136 | #1,896 | 83 |
| 2022 | #1,540 | 139 | #1,965 | 78 |
| 2021 | #1,641 | 127 | #1,870 | 82 |
| 2020 | #1,524 | 139 | #1,849 | 80 |
| 2019 | #1,598 | 133 | #1,777 | 87 |
| 2018 | #1,451 | 151 | #1,576 | 106 |
| 2017 | #1,331 | 175 | #1,554 | 105 |
| 2016 | #1,480 | 155 | #1,890 | 78 |
| 2015 | #2,294 | 81 | #2,019 | 71 |
| 2014 | #2,176 | 87 | #2,116 | 65 |
| 2013 | #3,218 | 50 | #2,139 | 62 |
| 2012 | #3,644 | 43 | #2,811 | 42 |
| 2011 | #3,916 | 38 | #2,904 | 40 |
| 2010 | #4,608 | 31 | #3,128 | 36 |
| 2009 | #4,677 | 31 | #3,274 | 34 |
| 2008 | #3,645 | 44 | #3,744 | 28 |
| 2007 | #4,299 | 35 | #3,379 | 32 |
| 2006 | #5,906 | 22 | #3,602 | 28 |
| 2005 | #3,730 | 39 | #3,528 | 27 |
| 2004 | #4,093 | 34 | #3,368 | 28 |
| 2003 | #3,291 | 44 | #4,114 | 20 |
| 2002 | #4,767 | 25 | #3,349 | 26 |
| 2001 | #3,631 | 36 | #3,842 | 21 |
| 2000 | #4,185 | 29 | #3,423 | 24 |
| 1999 | #3,718 | 32 | #3,376 | 23 |
| 1998 | #5,123 | 20 | #4,413 | 15 |
| 1997 | #3,365 | 34 | #3,455 | 20 |
| 1996 | #3,632 | 30 | #3,406 | 20 |
| 1995 | #3,220 | 35 | #2,847 | 25 |
| 1994 | #4,238 | 24 | #3,596 | 18 |
| 1993 | #7,498 | 11 | #3,141 | 21 |
| 1992 | #5,051 | 19 | #3,459 | 18 |
| 1991 | #4,650 | 21 | #3,325 | 18 |
| 1990 | #4,380 | 22 | #3,607 | 16 |
| 1989 | #4,358 | 21 | #2,292 | 29 |
| 1988 | #4,172 | 21 | #2,961 | 18 |
| 1987 | #3,743 | 23 | #2,333 | 24 |
| 1986 | #3,757 | 22 | #2,226 | 25 |
| 1985 | #3,621 | 23 | #2,427 | 21 |
| 1984 | #3,726 | 21 | #2,824 | 16 |
| 1983 | #5,457 | 12 | #2,341 | 21 |
| 1982 | #5,911 | 11 | #2,831 | 16 |
| 1981 | #4,963 | 14 | #2,418 | 20 |
| 1980 | #4,517 | 16 | #2,617 | 18 |
| 1979 | #3,236 | 25 | #2,157 | 23 |
| 1978 | #2,801 | 29 | #2,375 | 19 |
| 1977 | #3,911 | 18 | #1,948 | 25 |
| 1976 | #3,812 | 17 | #2,826 | 14 |
| 1975 | #3,259 | 21 | #2,288 | 19 |
| 1974 | #3,426 | 19 | #2,199 | 19 |
| 1973 | #3,787 | 16 | #2,216 | 18 |
| 1972 | #3,062 | 21 | #1,771 | 25 |
| 1971 | #3,943 | 15 | #1,784 | 25 |
| 1970 | #2,395 | 31 | #1,615 | 28 |
| 1969 | #2,208 | 33 | #1,463 | 30 |
| 1968 | #2,126 | 32 | #1,614 | 24 |
| 1967 | #2,327 | 27 | #1,540 | 25 |
| 1966 | #1,882 | 37 | #1,299 | 34 |
| 1965 | — | #1,456 | 28 | |
| 1964 | #3,244 | 16 | #1,219 | 40 |
| 1963 | #3,801 | 12 | #1,403 | 31 |
| 1962 | #3,592 | 13 | #1,242 | 39 |
| 1961 | #3,060 | 17 | #1,196 | 44 |
| 1960 | — | #1,273 | 38 | |
| 1959 | — | #1,101 | 49 | |
| 1958 | #6,103 | 5 | #1,511 | 27 |
| 1957 | — | #1,165 | 44 | |
| 1956 | — | #1,193 | 41 | |
| 1955 | — | #1,075 | 49 | |
| 1954 | — | #985 | 57 | |
| 1953 | — | #950 | 57 | |
| 1952 | — | #1,066 | 46 | |
| 1951 | #4,833 | 6 | #1,017 | 48 |
| 1950 | — | #973 | 51 | |
| 1949 | — | #935 | 55 | |
| 1948 | — | #910 | 57 | |
| 1947 | — | #938 | 56 | |
| 1946 | — | #848 | 60 | |
| 1945 | — | #850 | 54 | |
| 1944 | — | #832 | 57 | |
| 1943 | — | #797 | 68 | |
| 1942 | — | #910 | 53 | |
| 1941 | — | #807 | 61 | |
| 1940 | — | #862 | 53 | |
| 1939 | — | #733 | 67 | |
| 1938 | — | #770 | 63 | |
| 1937 | — | #787 | 61 | |
| 1936 | — | #719 | 69 | |
| 1935 | — | #881 | 51 | |
| 1934 | — | #779 | 63 | |
| 1933 | — | #775 | 62 | |
| 1932 | — | #836 | 58 | |
| 1931 | — | #742 | 69 | |
| 1930 | — | #730 | 75 | |
| 1929 | — | #695 | 79 | |
| 1928 | — | #663 | 89 | |
| 1927 | — | #713 | 83 | |
| 1926 | — | #651 | 94 | |
| 1925 | — | #715 | 82 | |
| 1924 | — | #579 | 121 | |
| 1923 | — | #682 | 89 | |
| 1922 | — | #623 | 107 | |
| 1921 | — | #592 | 115 | |
| 1920 | — | #609 | 107 | |
| 1919 | #4,814 | 5 | #695 | 80 |
| 1918 | — | #637 | 93 | |
| 1917 | — | #603 | 97 | |
| 1916 | — | #597 | 95 | |
| 1915 | — | #647 | 80 | |
| 1914 | — | #687 | 55 | |
| 1913 | — | #537 | 65 | |
| 1912 | — | #556 | 52 | |
| 1911 | — | #732 | 19 | |
| 1910 | — | #822 | 14 | |
| 1909 | — | #756 | 14 | |
| 1908 | — | #946 | 9 | |
| 1907 | — | #735 | 13 | |
| 1906 | — | #523 | 19 | |
| 1905 | — | #525 | 19 | |
| 1904 | — | #566 | 16 | |
| 1903 | — | #656 | 12 | |
| 1902 | — | #583 | 14 | |
| 1901 | — | #779 | 8 | |
| 1900 | — | #1,050 | 7 | |
| 1899 | — | #394 | 22 | |
| 1898 | — | #418 | 22 | |
| 1897 | — | #473 | 17 | |
| 1896 | — | #551 | 14 | |
| 1895 | — | #556 | 14 | |
| 1894 | — | #399 | 22 | |
| 1893 | — | #479 | 15 | |
| 1892 | — | #480 | 17 | |
| 1891 | — | #497 | 13 | |
| 1890 | — | #566 | 12 | |
| 1889 | — | #549 | 12 | |
| 1888 | — | #580 | 12 | |
| 1887 | — | #461 | 14 | |
| 1886 | — | #605 | 10 | |
| 1885 | — | #411 | 19 | |
| 1884 | — | #663 | 9 | |
| 1883 | — | #644 | 9 | |
| 1882 | — | #943 | 5 | |
| 1881 | — | #487 | 13 | |
| 1880 | — | #403 | 18 | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Merritt was already there! It came in at #403, and was given to 18 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1882, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.
Where Merritt is popular in 2025
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- Nebraska#335 · 1 in 1,260
- Alabama#573 · 1 in 2,690
- Missouri#648 · 1 in 3,476
- Oklahoma#698 · 1 in 3,536
- North Carolina#1,028 · 1 in 7,353
Best ever in a state: #96 in Vermont, 1926.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | #335 | 7 | 1 in 1,260 |
| Alabama | #573 | 8 | 1 in 2,690 |
| Missouri | #648 | 8 | 1 in 3,476 |
| Oklahoma | #698 | 5 | 1 in 3,536 |
| North Carolina | #1,028 | 7 | 1 in 7,353 |
| Georgia | #1,350 | 5 | 1 in 10,044 |
| Texas | #1,415 | 13 | 1 in 13,465 |
| Florida | #1,625 | 6 | 1 in 15,922 |
| California | #2,203 | 6 | 1 in 29,246 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| 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 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 Merritt
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 350 spots since 2020 (#1,849 → #1,499)
- Biggest jump: 299 spots in 1883
- Biggest drop: 656 spots in 1900
Rise & fade · boys
19 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1899 at #394 (22 births)
- Births halved by 1900, 1 yr later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 72 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 72 yrs · run 1901–1950
Share of babies · boys
1 in 4,828
- Highest: 1 in 4,828 boys born in 1899 were named Merritt (0.02%)
- Latest: 1 in 14,599 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · boys
The 1920s
- 15.7% of all boys named Merritt (966) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 2014
- Mostly boys until 2013, mostly girls since
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 121 | #403 (1880) | #575 |
| 1890s | 168 | #394 (1899) | #481 |
| 1900s | 131 | #523 (1906) | #712 |
| 1910s | 650 | #537 (1913) | #651 |
| 1920s | 966 | #579 (1924) | #652 |
| 1930s | 638 | #719 (1936) | #775 |
| 1940s | 574 | #797 (1943) | #869 |
| 1950s | 469 | #950 (1953) | #1,104 |
| 1960s | 333 | #1,196 (1961) | #1,371 |
| 1970s | 215 | #1,615 (1970) | #2,118 |
| 1980s | 208 | #2,226 (1986) | #2,527 |
| 1990s | 194 | #2,847 (1995) | #3,463 |
| 2000s | 268 | #3,274 (2009) | #3,562 |
| 2010s | 692 | #1,554 (2017) | #2,191 |
| 2020s | 524 | #1,499 (2025) | #1,828 |
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.
Want to check a specific year?
See where Merritt ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: