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.
- #4,092 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,461
- born since 1895
- 1930s
- peak decade
Merna is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 2,461 have been recorded since 1895.
Merna has 2,461 recorded births among girls since 1895, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, 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.
- #4,092 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 2,461 born since 1895
- 1930s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merna ranks #4,092 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,461 born since 1895, peaking in the 1930s.
- #4,092 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,461
- born since 1895
- 1930s
- peak decade
Merna's 2,461 recorded births place it above 94.34% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
14 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Nebraska.
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 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
1930s is the heaviest window (582 births, 24% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
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When was Merna most popular? ▼
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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
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
Compare Merna side by side: Merna vs Meredith Merna vs Mercedes Merna 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 Merna: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1930)
Similar record span (~129 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, 1895–2024 (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 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 August 2026.