Total births
338
Girls' name · since 1965
Merina
Since 1965, U.S. Social Security records show 338 babies named Merina, peaking in 1998. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #13767
- among girls today
- 338
- born since 1965
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 22%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Merina is the #13767 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 338 recorded since 1965.
Social Security Administration records show Merina recorded 338 times among girls since 1965, holding rank #13767 nationally today, ahead of 22% of girls, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1965 to 2024.
- #13767 among girls today
- 338 born since 1965
- 1990s peak decade
- 22% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Merina is currently the #13767 girls' name in America, more common than 22% of girls - 338 born since 1965, peaking in the 1990s.
- #13767
- among girls today
- 338
- born since 1965
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 22%
- more common than other girls
Merina vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#13767
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 22% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
43% of everyone ever named Merina was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
19 babies were named Merina in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Merina compares
338 47th percentile among 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
Merina's all-time total is 12% below the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Merina | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 338 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 19 | 48 | 19,840 |
Merina's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Merina's full recorded timeline at 2001, 39% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 61% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1965, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1998 peak of 19 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Merina at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#13,767
Active since
1965
Merina popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1965–2024
- Peak year (1998)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 60 years of records
Merina by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Merina's strongest decade.
146 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Merina births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 11
1970s
11 births
- 1980s 29
1980s
29 births
- 1990s
1990s
146 births
- 2000s
2000s
76 births
- 2010s 55
2010s
55 births
- 2020s 16
2020s
16 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 146 births (43% of all-time use).
Merina by state
Where Merina concentrates geographically, total births since 1965
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 32 | 9.5% |
California share of Merina's total US births 9.5%
32 of 338 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merina? ▼
Since 1965, Social Security records show 338 babies named Merina. Today it holds rank #13767 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1998, with 19 births.
When was Merina most popular? ▼
Merina was most popular in the 1990s decade with 146 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Merina most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Merina are California (32 births).
How long has the name Merina been used? ▼
Records for Merina go back to 1965, giving 60 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Merina? ▼
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 Merina's data
- Merina's decade-level peak was the 1990s (146 total births); usage has since declined to 16 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Merinas (32 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 Merina
Nearby Names Like Merina
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merina
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 Merina side by side: Merina vs Meredith Merina vs Mercedes Merina vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Merina
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1965–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merina: #13767 Girls' Name - 338 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merina. 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 Merina 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 July 2026.