Total births
376
Girls' name · since 1916
Meriel
376 babies named Meriel in U.S. Social Security records since 1916, with the highest year being 1934. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 376
- total births
- 1916–2014
- years on record
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
Meriel sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 376 recorded since 1916.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Meriel has been recorded 376 times among girls since 1916, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 2014.
- 376 total births
- 1916–2014 years on record
- 2000s peak decade
- 22% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
376 girls have been named Meriel since 1916, peaking in the 2000s, last recorded in 2014.
- 376
- total births
- 1916–2014
- years on record
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
2000s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Meriel was born in this single decade.
1934
Single peak year
15 babies were named Meriel in 1934 - its busiest year on record.
Meriel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Meriel's full recorded timeline at 1981, 56% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 44% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1917, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1934 peak of 15 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Meriel at a glance
Last recorded 2014Peak year
1934
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1916
Meriel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2014
- Peak year (1934)
- 15
- Annual births at peak, across 99 years of records
Meriel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Meriel's strongest decade.
82 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Meriel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 19
1910s
19 births
- 1920s
1920s
36 births
- 1930s
1930s
45 births
- 1940s 26
1940s
26 births
- 1950s 26
1950s
26 births
- 1960s 10
1960s
10 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s
1980s
41 births
- 1990s
1990s
61 births
- 2000s
2000s
82 births
- 2010s 25
2010s
25 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 82 births (22% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Meriel? ▼
376 babies have been named Meriel since 1916. It was last recorded in 2014. The peak year was 1934 with 15 births.
When was Meriel most popular? ▼
Meriel was most popular in the 2000s decade with 82 total births. The single peak year was 1934.
How long has the name Meriel been used? ▼
Records for Meriel go back to 1916, giving 99 years of history through 2014.
What names are similar to Meriel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Meredith, Mercedes, Merle, Mercy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Meriel's data
- Meriel's decade-level peak was the 2000s (82 total births); usage has since declined to 25 in the 2010s -- 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 Meriel
Nearby Names Like Meriel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Meriel
Meredith Girl
#492 77,787 births
Mercedes Girl
#1446 46,206 births
Merle Girl
14,723 births
Mercy Girl
#845 10,632 births
Merry Girl
#6942 10,369 births
Compare Meriel side by side: Meriel vs Meredith Meriel vs Mercedes Meriel vs Merle
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, 1916–2014 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Meriel: Baby Name Since 1916 - 376 Births, Peak 1934." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/meriel. 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 Meriel 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.