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.

19
total births
1987–2006
years on record
2000s
peak decade
74%
born in that 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.

  • 19 total births
  • 1987–2006 years on record
  • 2000s peak decade
  • 74% born in that decade

Data updated Jul 2026

Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Merli's 19 recorded births place it above 35% 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

Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance

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 July 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 last appearance in the data was 2006. 8 babies were born in 2004, its single highest year.
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.

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, 1987–2006 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Cite this page

NameAlmanac. "Merli: Baby Name Since 1987 - 19 Births, Peak 2004." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merli. 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 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 July 2026.