Unisex name · since 1886
Merl
Merl has 2,574 recorded births since 1886 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1922 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,818 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,574
- born since 1886
- 1920s
- peak decade
Merl is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 2,574 have been recorded since 1886.
Merl has 2,574 recorded births among boys since 1886, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1886 to 1986.
- #2,818 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 2,574 born since 1886
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merl ranks #2,818 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,574 born since 1886, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2,818 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,574
- born since 1886
- 1920s
- peak decade
Merl's 2,574 recorded births place it above 93.8% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
18 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Indiana.
Merl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Merl splits its recorded history at 1936: 38% of all births land in the more recent half, 62% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1895 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1922 peak of 83 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Merl popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1886–1986
- Peak year (1922)
- 83
- Annual births at peak, across 101 years of records
Merl popularity over time - girls
278 total births recorded since 1895 (Merl as girls' name)
Merl by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (693 births, 27% of the file).
1920s was Merl's strongest decade.
693 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Merl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 15
1880s
15 births
- 1890s 58
1890s
58 births
- 1900s 69
1900s
69 births
- 1910s
1910s
503 births
- 1920s
1920s
693 births
- 1930s
1930s
411 births
- 1940s
1940s
331 births
- 1950s 265
1950s
265 births
- 1960s 145
1960s
145 births
- 1970s 69
1970s
69 births
- 1980s 15
1980s
15 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 693 births (27% of all-time use).
How Merl compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Merl's total volume
Merl by state
Where Merl concentrates geographically, total births since 1886
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Indiana | | 100 | 3.9% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 92 | 3.6% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 85 | 3.3% |
| #4 | Oklahoma | | 60 | 2.3% |
| #5 | Iowa | | 52 | 2.0% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 52 | 2.0% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 43 | 1.7% |
| #8 | Kansas | | 34 | 1.3% |
100 of 2,574 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Merl appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merl? ▼
Where does Merl sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Merl most popular? ▼
Where is Merl most popular? ▼
Is Merl a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Merl been used? ▼
What names are similar to Merl? ▼
What to do with Merl's data
- Merl's decade-level peak was the 1920s (693 total births); usage has since declined to 15 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Indiana records the most Merls (100 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Indiana names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Merl
Nearby Names Like Merl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merl
Compare Merl side by side: Merl vs Merle Merl vs Merlin Merl vs Merrill
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Merl: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1922)
Similar record span (~100 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, 1886–1986 (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 Merl 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.