Total births
2,317
Girls' name · since 1915
Merilyn
Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 2,317 babies named Merilyn, peaking in 1946. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #13581
- among girls today
- 2,317
- born since 1915
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Merilyn is the #13581 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 2,317 recorded since 1915.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merilyn has been recorded 2,317 times among girls since 1915, currently ranked #13581 nationally and more common than 23% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2024.
- #13581 among girls today
- 2,317 born since 1915
- 1940s peak decade
- 23% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Merilyn is currently the #13581 girls' name in America, more common than 23% of girls - 2,317 born since 1915, peaking in the 1940s.
- #13581
- among girls today
- 2,317
- born since 1915
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other girls
Merilyn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#13581
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 23% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Merilyn was born in this single decade.
1946
Single peak year
75 babies were named Merilyn in 1946 - its busiest year on record.
How Merilyn compares
2,317 Top 20% higher than 80% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Merilyn's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Merilyn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,317 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 75 | 48 | 19,840 |
Merilyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Merilyn splits its recorded history at 1963: 18% of all births land in the more recent half, 82% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1977 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1946 peak of 75 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Merilyn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1946
Current rank
#13,581
Active since
1915
Merilyn popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2024
- Peak year (1946)
- 75
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Merilyn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Merilyn's strongest decade.
585 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Merilyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 33
1910s
33 births
- 1920s
1920s
346 births
- 1930s
1930s
583 births
- 1940s
1940s
585 births
- 1950s
1950s
311 births
- 1960s 123
1960s
123 births
- 1970s 37
1970s
37 births
- 1980s 41
1980s
41 births
- 1990s 60
1990s
60 births
- 2000s 130
2000s
130 births
- 2010s 56
2010s
56 births
- 2020s 12
2020s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 585 births (25% of all-time use).
How Merilyn compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Merilyn's total volume
Merilyn vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Merilyn by state
Where Merilyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 158 | 6.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 35 | 1.5% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 33 | 1.4% |
| #4 | Texas | | 29 | 1.3% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 28 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 13 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 10 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 6 | 0.3% |
California share of Merilyn's total US births 6.8%
Even split
158 of 2,317 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Merilyn appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merilyn? ▼
Since 1915, Social Security records show 2,317 babies named Merilyn. Today it holds rank #13581 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1946, with 75 births.
When was Merilyn most popular? ▼
Merilyn was most popular in the 1940s decade with 585 total births. The single peak year was 1946.
Where is Merilyn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Merilyn are California (158 births), New York (35 births), Massachusetts (33 births).
How long has the name Merilyn been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Merilyn since 1915 -- 110 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Merilyn? ▼
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 Merilyn's data
- Merilyn's decade-level peak was the 1940s (585 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Merilyns (158 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- 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 Merilyn
Nearby Names Like Merilyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merilyn
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 Merilyn side by side: Merilyn vs Meredith Merilyn vs Mercedes Merilyn vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Merilyn
Elane #13580
806 births · Peak 1950
Nerissa #13582
1,977 births · Peak 1979
Gem #13579
217 births · Peak 2016
Alexsandra #13583
2,422 births · Peak 2006
Bessy #13578
334 births · Peak 2001
Arabel #13584
173 births · Peak 2015
Benjamin #13577
2,482 births · Peak 1983
Beverlee #13585
2,297 births · Peak 1930
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, 1915–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merilyn: #13581 Girls' Name - 2,317 Births, Peak 1946." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merilyn. 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 Merilyn 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.