Total births
2,461
Girls' name · since 1895
Merna
Merna has 2,461 recorded births since 1895 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1930 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #11154
- among girls today
- 2,461
- born since 1895
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Merna is the #11154 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 2,461 recorded since 1895.
Merna has 2,461 recorded births among girls since 1895, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #11154 as of the latest data, more common than 37% of girls, busiest in the 1930s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1895 to 2024.
- #11154 among girls today
- 2,461 born since 1895
- 1930s peak decade
- 37% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Merna is currently the #11154 girls' name in America, more common than 37% of girls - 2,461 born since 1895, peaking in the 1930s.
- #11154
- among girls today
- 2,461
- born since 1895
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Merna vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#11154
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 37% of names given to girls today.
1930s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Merna was born in this single decade.
1930
Single peak year
79 babies were named Merna in 1930 - its busiest year on record.
How Merna compares
2,461 Top 20% higher than 80% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Merna's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Merna | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,461 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 79 | 48 | 19,840 |
Merna's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Merna's SSA record in two at 1950 and the more recent half accounts for 25% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 75%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1895, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1930 peak of 79, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Merna at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1930
Current rank
#11,154
Active since
1895
Merna popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2024
- Peak year (1930)
- 79
- Annual births at peak, across 130 years of records
Merna by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Merna's strongest decade.
582 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Merna births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 27
1890s
27 births
- 1900s 78
1900s
78 births
- 1910s
1910s
323 births
- 1920s
1920s
525 births
- 1930s
1930s
582 births
- 1940s
1940s
317 births
- 1950s 214
1950s
214 births
- 1960s 100
1960s
100 births
- 1970s 18
1970s
18 births
- 1980s 7
1980s
7 births
- 1990s 43
1990s
43 births
- 2000s 88
2000s
88 births
- 2010s 87
2010s
87 births
- 2020s 52
2020s
52 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 582 births (24% of all-time use).
How Merna compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Merna's total volume
Merna vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Merna by state
Where Merna concentrates geographically, total births since 1895
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Nebraska | | 204 | 8.3% |
| #2 | Iowa | | 112 | 4.6% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 62 | 2.5% |
| #4 | Kansas | | 30 | 1.2% |
| #5 | New York | | 30 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 22 | 0.9% |
| #7 | California | | 16 | 0.7% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 11 | 0.4% |
Nebraska share of Merna's total US births 8.3%
Even split
204 of 2,461 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Merna appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merna? ▼
2,461 babies have been named Merna since 1895. It currently ranks #11154 among girls. The peak year was 1930 with 79 births.
When was Merna most popular? ▼
Merna was most popular in the 1930s decade with 582 total births. The single peak year was 1930.
Where is Merna most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Merna are Nebraska (204 births), Iowa (112 births), Illinois (62 births).
How long has the name Merna been used? ▼
Merna has been recorded in Social Security data since 1895, spanning 130 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Merna? ▼
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 Merna's data
- Merna's decade-level peak was the 1930s (582 total births); usage has since declined to 52 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Nebraska records the most Mernas (204 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Nebraska 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 Merna
Nearby Names Like Merna
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merna
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 Merna side by side: Merna vs Meredith Merna vs Mercedes Merna vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Merna
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, 1895–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merna: #11154 Girls' Name - 2,461 Births, Peak 1930." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merna. 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 Merna 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.