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.
- #4,262 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,317
- born since 1915
- 1940s
- peak decade
Merilyn is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 2,317 have been recorded since 1915.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merilyn has been recorded 2,317 times among girls since 1915, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, 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.
- #4,262 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 2,317 born since 1915
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merilyn ranks #4,262 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,317 born since 1915, peaking in the 1940s.
- #4,262 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,317
- born since 1915
- 1940s
- peak decade
Merilyn's 2,317 recorded births place it above 94.1% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
14 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
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 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
1940s is the heaviest window (585 births, 25% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Merilyn sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Merilyn most popular? ▼
Where is Merilyn most popular? ▼
How long has the name Merilyn been used? ▼
What names are similar to Merilyn? ▼
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
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
Compare Merilyn side by side: Merilyn vs Meredith Merilyn vs Mercedes Merilyn vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Merilyn: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1946)
Similar record span (~109 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, 1915–2024 (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 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 August 2026.