Total births
205
Unisex name · since 1913
Merel
Since 1913, U.S. Social Security records show 205 babies named Merel, peaking in 1926. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 205
- total births
- 1913–1971
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 41%
- born in that decade
Merel sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 205 recorded since 1913.
Merel has 205 recorded births among boys since 1913, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 1971.
- 205 total births
- 1913–1971 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 41% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
205 boys have been named Merel since 1913, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1971.
- 205
- total births
- 1913–1971
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 41%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Merel was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
14 babies were named Merel in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
Merel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Merel splits its recorded history at 1931: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1913 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1926 peak of 14 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Merel at a glance
Last recorded 1971Peak year
1926
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1913
Merel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–1971
- Peak year (1926)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 59 years of records
Merel popularity over time - girls
35 total births recorded since 1920 (Merel as girls' name)
Merel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Merel's strongest decade.
84 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Merel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 24
1910s
24 births
- 1920s
1920s
84 births
- 1930s
1930s
43 births
- 1940s
1940s
36 births
- 1950s 12
1950s
12 births
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 84 births (41% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merel? ▼
Merel has been given to 205 babies in the U.S. since 1913, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1971. 14 babies were born in 1926, its single highest year.
When was Merel most popular? ▼
Merel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 84 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
Is Merel a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Merel is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 205 births, and as a girl's name it has 35 births.
How long has the name Merel been used? ▼
Merel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1913, spanning 59 years of data through 1971.
What names are similar to Merel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Merle, Merlin, Merrill, Mervin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Merel's data
- Merel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (84 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Merel
Nearby Names Like Merel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merel
Merle Boy
#4573 30,666 births
Merlin Boy
#2063 15,049 births
Merrill Boy
#10939 12,988 births
Mervin Boy
#2394 12,322 births
Merritt Boy
#1891 6,151 births
Compare Merel side by side: Merel vs Merle Merel vs Merlin Merel vs Merrill
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1913–1971 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merel: Baby Name Since 1913 - 205 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Merel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.