Girls' name · since 1986
Merly
Merly has 242 recorded births since 1986 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2012 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #17,908 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 242
- born since 1986
- 2000s
- peak decade
242 girls have been named Merly since 1986, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Merly has 242 recorded births among girls since 1986, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1986 to 2024.
- #17,908 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 242 born since 1986
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merly ranks #17,908 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 242 born since 1986, peaking in the 2000s.
- #17,908 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 242
- born since 1986
- 2000s
- peak decade
Merly's 242 recorded births place it above 75.23% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
Merly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Merly's full recorded timeline at 2007, 54% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 46% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1986, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2012 peak of 14 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Merly popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1986–2024
- Peak year (2012)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 39 years of records
Merly by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (82 births, 34% of the file).
2000s was Merly's strongest decade.
82 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Merly births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 10
1980s
10 births
- 1990s
1990s
43 births
- 2000s
2000s
82 births
- 2010s
2010s
80 births
- 2020s 27
2020s
27 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 82 births (34% of all-time use).
Merly by state
Where Merly concentrates geographically, total births since 1986
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 11 | 4.5% |
11 of 242 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merly? ▼
Where does Merly sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Merly most popular? ▼
Where is Merly most popular? ▼
How long has the name Merly been used? ▼
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What to do with Merly's data
- Merly's decade-level peak was the 2000s (82 total births); usage has since declined to 27 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Merlys (11 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Merly
Nearby Names Like Merly
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merly
Compare Merly side by side: Merly vs Meredith Merly vs Mercedes Merly vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Merly: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2012)
Similar record span (~38 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, 1986–2024 (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 Merly 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.