Total births
261
Girls' name · since 1897
Merlie
Merlie has 261 recorded births since 1897 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 261
- total births
- 1897–1948
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 32%
- born in that decade
Merlie sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 261 recorded since 1897.
Social Security Administration records show Merlie recorded 261 times among girls since 1897, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1897 to 1948.
- 261 total births
- 1897–1948 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 32% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
261 girls have been named Merlie since 1897, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1948.
- 261
- total births
- 1897–1948
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 32%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Merlie was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
15 babies were named Merlie in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
Merlie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Merlie's full recorded timeline at 1922, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1910, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 15 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Merlie at a glance
Last recorded 1948Peak year
1921
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1897
Merlie popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1897–1948
- Peak year (1921)
- 15
- Annual births at peak, across 52 years of records
Merlie by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Merlie's strongest decade.
84 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Merlie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1900s 23
1900s
23 births
- 1910s
1910s
79 births
- 1920s
1920s
84 births
- 1930s
1930s
44 births
- 1940s 25
1940s
25 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 84 births (32% of all-time use).
Merlie by state
Where Merlie concentrates geographically, total births since 1897
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | West Virginia | | 5 | 1.9% |
West Virginia share of Merlie's total US births 1.9%
5 of 261 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merlie? ▼
Since 1897, Social Security records show 261 babies named Merlie. The most recent recorded year was 1948. Its busiest year on record was 1921, with 15 births.
When was Merlie most popular? ▼
Merlie was most popular in the 1920s decade with 84 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Merlie most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Merlie are West Virginia (5 births).
How long has the name Merlie been used? ▼
Records for Merlie go back to 1897, giving 52 years of history through 1948.
What names are similar to Merlie? ▼
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 Merlie's data
- Merlie's decade-level peak was the 1920s (84 total births); usage has since declined to 25 in the 1940s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- West Virginia records the most Merlies (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. West Virginia 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 Merlie
Nearby Names Like Merlie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merlie
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 Merlie side by side: Merlie vs Meredith Merlie vs Mercedes Merlie vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1897–1948 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merlie: Baby Name Since 1897 - 261 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merlie. 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 Merlie 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.