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.
- #12,813 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 205
- born since 1913
- 1920s
- peak 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.
- #12,813 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 205 born since 1913
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merel ranks #12,813 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 205 born since 1913, peaking in the 1920s.
- #12,813 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 205
- born since 1913
- 1920s
- peak decade
Merel's 205 recorded births place it above 71.8% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
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 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
1920s is the heaviest window (84 births, 41% of the file).
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
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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.
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
Compare Merel side by side: Merel vs Merle Merel vs Merlin Merel vs Merrill
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Merel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1926)
Similar record span (~58 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.