Total births
316
Unisex name · since 1965
Merit
316 babies named Merit in U.S. Social Security records since 1965, with the highest year being 2025. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7347
- among girls today
- 316
- born since 1965
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other girls
316 babies have been named Merit since 1965, making it today's #7347 unisex name.
Merit has 316 recorded births among girls since 1965, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7347 as of the latest data, more common than 59% of girls, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1965 to 2025.
- #7347 among girls today
- 316 born since 1965
- 2020s peak decade
- 59% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Merit is currently the #7347 unisex name in America, more common than 59% of girls - 316 born since 1965, peaking in the 2020s.
- #7347
- among girls today
- 316
- born since 1965
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other girls
Merit vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7347
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 59% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Merit was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
51 babies were named Merit in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Merit compares
316 46th 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
Merit's all-time total is 17% below the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Merit | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 316 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 51 | 48 | 19,840 |
Merit's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Merit splits its recorded history at 2012: 69% of all births land in the more recent half, 31% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1969 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 51 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Merit at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2025
Current rank
#7,347
Active since
1965
Merit popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1965–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 51
- Annual births at peak, across 61 years of records
Merit popularity over time - boys
228 total births recorded since 1918 (Merit as boys' name)
Merit by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Merit's strongest decade.
131 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Merit births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 11
1960s
11 births
- 1970s 7
1970s
7 births
- 1980s 11
1980s
11 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s 42
2000s
42 births
- 2010s
2010s
109 births
- 2020s
2020s
131 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 131 births (41% of all-time use).
Merit by state
Where Merit concentrates geographically, total births since 1965
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 27 | 8.5% |
| #2 | California | | 6 | 1.9% |
Texas share of Merit's total US births 8.5%
Even split
27 of 316 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merit? ▼
316 babies have been named Merit since 1965. It currently ranks #7347 among girls. The peak year was 2025 with 51 births.
When was Merit most popular? ▼
Merit was most popular in the 2020s decade with 131 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Merit most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Merit are Texas (27 births), California (6 births).
Is Merit a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Merit is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 316 births, and as a boy's name it has 228 births.
How long has the name Merit been used? ▼
Merit has been recorded in Social Security data since 1965, spanning 61 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Merit? ▼
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 Merit's data
- Texas records the most Merits (27 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Merit
Nearby Names Like Merit
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merit
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 Merit side by side: Merit vs Meredith Merit vs Mercedes Merit vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Merit
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, 1965–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merit: #7347 Unisex Name - 316 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merit. 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 Merit 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.