Girls' name · since 1987

Merli

Since 1987, U.S. Social Security records show 19 babies named Merli, peaking in 2004. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#46,568 of 72,339
all-time among girls
19
born since 1987
2000s
peak decade

Merli is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 19 have been recorded since 1987.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merli has been recorded 19 times among girls since 1987, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1987 to 2006.

  • #46,568 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • 19 born since 1987
  • 2000s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merli ranks #46,568 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 19 born since 1987, peaking in the 2000s.

#46,568 of 72,339
all-time among girls
19
born since 1987
2000s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Merli's 19 recorded births place it above 35.39% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Merli's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Merli's full recorded timeline at 2004, 74% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 26% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1987, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2004 peak of 8 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Merli popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1987–2006

Last recorded 2006
Peak year (2004)
8
Annual births at peak, across 20 years of records
456789 198720042006 6

Merli by decade

2000s is the heaviest window (14 births, 74% of the file).

2000s was Merli's strongest decade.

14 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 74% of all-time use.

Merli births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window.

births

What this shows Peak: 2000s at 14 births (74% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Merli? ▼
Merli has been given to 19 babies in the U.S. since 1987, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #46,568 of 72,339 among girls' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 2006. 8 babies were born in 2004, its single highest year.
Where does Merli sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merli ranks #46,568 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Merli most popular? ▼
Merli was most popular in the 2000s decade with 14 total births. The single peak year was 2004.
How long has the name Merli been used? ▼
Merli has been recorded in Social Security data since 1987, spanning 20 years of data through 2006.
What names are similar to Merli? ▼
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.

Keep exploring Merli

Nearby Names Like Merli

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merli

Meredith Girl
#469 77,787 births
Mercedes Girl
#1436 46,206 births
Merle Girl
#14961 14,723 births
Mercy Girl
#864 10,632 births
Merry Girl
#10142 10,369 births

Compare Merli side by side: Merli vs Meredith Merli vs Mercedes Merli vs Merle

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Elzadie
19 births · Peak 1928
Vertice
19 births · Peak 1931
Matsuyo
19 births · Peak 1917
Aldyth
19 births · Peak 1916
Cleophus
19 births · Peak 1926
Lealo
19 births · Peak 1922
Miye
19 births · Peak 1922
Junis
19 births · Peak 1935

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Merli: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1987–2006 (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 Merli 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.