Meryl

#8,362 for girls in 2025, 12 births · Last seen for boys in 1967 at #3,966
Given to girls 92.3% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1952 · 141 births
Debut · girls
6 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
5,167
since 1892

Meryl over time

girlsboys

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

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201953peak #747, 1952peak #1,843, 1931girlsboys
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#8,36212—
2024#5,44323—
2023#5,96020—
2022#6,98416—
2021#6,69117—
2020#5,48722—
2019#5,61222—
2018#5,15225—
2017#6,04420—
2016#4,63230—
2015#3,25450—
2014#4,76829—
2013#6,72918—
2012#4,29634—
2011#7,11817—
2010#6,90418—
2009#5,22627—
2008#7,40817—
2007#6,09322—
2006#5,38325—
2005#5,11325—
2004#7,39115—
2003#5,41922—
2002#5,67320—
2001#8,75811—
2000#5,70519—
1999#4,57624—
1998#3,73031—
1997#4,23925—
1996#4,05926—
1995#3,35733—
1994#2,98839—
1993#3,35133—
1992#2,68745—
1991#3,54030—
1990#2,46449—
1989#2,09659—
1988#1,82268—
1987#1,79265—
1986#1,53979—
1985#1,63272—
1984#1,58371—
1983#1,55272—
1982#1,67268—
1981#2,19546—
1980#1,74963—
1979#3,33324—
1978#5,21412—
1977#7,5677—
1976#3,81217—
1975#4,37014—
1974#3,55818—
1973#3,12221—
1972#2,35631—
1971#3,16621—
1970#2,26734—
1969#1,80946—
1968#1,97537—
1967#2,01234#3,9665
1966#1,66945—
1965#1,56151—
1964#1,39365#4,0395
1963#1,24178—
1962#1,26676—
1961#1,24379#4,0655
1960#1,073100—
1959#1,018108—
1958#1,08194—
1957#855141#2,8229
1956#792156—
1955#869125#2,7649
1954#782143—
1953#801132#3,1437
1952#747141#3,7345
1951#819119#2,8448
1950#777124#3,3296
1949#772125#3,6905
1948#821112#3,0107
1947#89897#2,35611
1946#1,00670#2,03013
1945#90469#2,9966
1944#1,17545#2,4679
1943#1,49231#2,07413
1942#1,41333#3,5605
1941#1,41830#1,90314
1940#2,10915—
1939#1,32731#3,1136
1938#1,50525#2,4799
1937#1,99916#3,5185
1936#1,16537#2,4529
1935#1,48325#2,9517
1934#1,60322#2,39310
1933#1,36428#1,99713
1932#1,38229#2,46510
1931#1,12740#1,84316
1930#1,23237#2,29312
1929#1,39330#2,7669
1928#1,19141#3,0768
1927#1,66925#2,19314
1926#1,30336#3,3857
1925#1,34735#1,93517
1924#1,35436#2,34713
1923#1,28337#1,94117
1922#1,83622#2,14315
1921#1,92721#1,90418
1920#1,40732#2,33613
1919#1,98918#2,06315
1918#1,45129#2,54311
1917#1,37729#2,7329
1916#1,63022#2,25912
1915#1,73819#2,45810
1914#1,66516—
1913#1,35818—
1912#1,14321#2,5445
1911#1,7928—
1910#1,7738—
1909#2,2085—
1908#1,4399—
1907——
1906#1,4168—
1905#1,4208—
1904——
1903#1,4407—
1902#1,4387—
1901#1,6795—
1900——
1899——
1898#1,1719—
1897#1,3856—
1896#1,5835—
1895——
1894——
1893#1,4375—
1892#1,2786—
1891——
1890——
1889——
1888——
1887——
1886——
1885——
1884——
1883——
1882——
1881——
1880——
First appearance
1892

The first year at least five girls were named Meryl! It came in at #1,278, and was given to 6 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1893–1896, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Meryl is popular in 1953

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedMINew York: #276 for girls · 70 births · 1 in 2,198 girlsNYMassachusetts: #331 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 5,362 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: #590 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 11,072 girlsPANew Jersey: #438 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 6,241 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedHITexas: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Meryl, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. New York#276 · 1 in 2,198
  2. Massachusetts#331 · 1 in 5,362
  3. New Jersey#438 · 1 in 6,241
  4. Pennsylvania#590 · 1 in 11,072

Best ever in a state: #247 in New York, 1952.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New York#276701 in 2,198
Massachusetts#33191 in 5,362
New Jersey#43881 in 6,241
Pennsylvania#590101 in 11,072
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
California———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Illinois———
Indiana———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Kentucky———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Maryland———
Michigan———
Minnesota———
Mississippi———
Missouri———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Carolina———
North Dakota———
Ohio———
Oklahoma———
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 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 Meryl
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 2,919 spots since 2024 (#5,443 → #8,362)
  • 2,875 spots since 2020 (#5,487 → #8,362)
  • 5,108 spots since 2015 (#3,254 → #8,362)
  • Biggest jump: 271 spots in 1945 (#1,175 → #904)
  • Biggest drop: 226 spots in 1958 (#855 → #1,081)
Rise & fade · girls
60 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1892
  • Peaked 1952 at #747 (141 births)
  • Births halved by 1964, 12 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 12 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 12 yrs · run 1947–1957
Share of babies · girls
1 in 12,870
  • Highest: 1 in 12,870 girls born in 1956 were named Meryl (0.01%)
  • Latest: 1 in 133,939 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #747 in 1952, was only 1 in 13,151 (0.01%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1950s
  • 24.8% of all girls named Meryl (1,283) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Never flipped
  • The majority has never changed
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1890s31#1,171 (1898)#1,371
1900s49#1,416 (1906)#1,577
1910s188#1,143 (1912)#1,592
1920s315#1,191 (1928)#1,471
1930s290#1,127 (1931)#1,419
1940s627#772 (1949)#1,201
1950s1,283#747 (1952)#854
1960s611#1,073 (1960)#1,524
1970s199#2,267 (1970)#3,877
1980s663#1,539 (1986)#1,763
1990s335#2,464 (1990)#3,499
2000s203#5,113 (2005)#6,217
2010s263#3,254 (2015)#5,451
2020s110#5,443 (2024)#6,488

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.

Meryl in 1953

girls
#801
132 births · 1 in 14,252 girls
boys
#3,143
7 births · 1 in 281,757 boys

Top girls' names in 1953

  1. #1Mary64,389
  2. #2Linda61,281
  3. #3Deborah52,199
  4. #4Patricia51,019
  5. #5Susan44,297
  6. #6Barbara38,473
  7. #7Debra36,856
  8. #8Nancy30,620
  9. #9Karen29,858
  10. #10Pamela25,760
  11. #801Meryl132

Top boys' names in 1953

  1. #1Robert86,243
  2. #2James86,066
  3. #3Michael84,198
  4. #4John80,165
  5. #5David76,119
  6. #6William61,829
  7. #7Richard58,389
  8. #8Thomas47,008
  9. #9Charles38,421
  10. #10Gary36,967
  11. #3,143Meryl7
More about 1953

girls

1,881,301 girls got a published name in 1953; 1 in 14,252 of them was named Meryl, which outranked 87.7% of the 6,497 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Meryl
  1. #798Brooke133
  2. #798Georgianna133
  3. #798Oralia133
  4. #801Meryl132
  5. #801Marleen132
  6. #803Nedra131
  7. #803Silvia131
  8. #803William131

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1952
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,253Enola#3,201 → #948
  2. ↑ 885Lu#1,368 → #483
  3. ↑ 749Joni#1,046 → #297
  4. ↑ 553Brooke#1,351 → #798
  5. ↑ 531Lorri#1,430 → #899
Fallers
  1. ↓ 274Roseanna#808 → #1,082
  2. ↓ 253Georgie#946 → #1,199
  3. ↓ 218Pandora#783 → #1,001
  4. ↓ 204Fonda#822 → #1,026
  5. ↓ 195Brinda#935 → #1,130

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,972,299 boys got a published name in 1953; 1 in 281,757 of them was named Meryl, which outranked 27.6% of the 4,341 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Meryl
  1. #2,905Yaakov8
  2. #2,905Yancy8
  3. #2,905Yosef8
  4. #3,143Meryl7
  5. #3,143Abbott7
  6. #3,143Ahmad7
  7. #3,143Aime7
  8. #3,425Abundio6
  9. #3,425Acey6
  10. #3,425Ahmed6

Tied with 281 names at #3,143; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1952
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,276Faron#2,251 → #975
  2. ↑ 694Shane#1,213 → #519
  3. ↑ 528Enrico#1,517 → #989
  4. ↑ 441Blaise#1,430 → #989
  5. ↑ 429Robbin#1,268 → #839
Fallers
  1. ↓ 427Durwood#981 → #1,408
  2. ↓ 392Jonnie#939 → #1,331
  3. ↓ 312Elvis#968 → #1,280
  4. ↓ 293Edsel#968 → #1,261
  5. ↓ 292Beverly#766 → #1,058

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1953 →