Boys' name · since 1908

Merrel

259 babies named Merrel in U.S. Social Security records since 1908, with the highest year being 1922. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#11,462 of 45,481
all-time among boys
259
born since 1908
1920s
peak decade

Merrel sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 259 recorded since 1908.

Social Security Administration records show Merrel recorded 259 times among boys since 1908, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys 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 1908 to 1955.

  • #11,462 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 259 born since 1908
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merrel ranks #11,462 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 259 born since 1908, peaking in the 1920s.

#11,462 of 45,481
all-time among boys
259
born since 1908
1920s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Merrel's 259 recorded births place it above 74.78% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Merrel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Merrel splits its recorded history at 1929: 44% of all births land in the more recent half, 56% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1918 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1922 peak of 15 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Merrel popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1908–1955

Last recorded 1955
Peak year (1922)
15
Annual births at peak, across 48 years of records
05101520 19081917192219271934194019471955 5

Merrel popularity over time - girls

10 total births recorded since 1917 (Merrel as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 10 births
5 19171940 5

Merrel by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (89 births, 34% of the file).

1920s was Merrel's strongest decade.

89 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.

Merrel births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 89 births (34% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Merrel? ▼
Merrel has been given to 259 babies in the U.S. since 1908, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #11,462 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 1955. 15 babies were born in 1922, its single highest year.
Where does Merrel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merrel ranks #11,462 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Merrel most popular? ▼
Merrel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 89 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
How long has the name Merrel been used? ▼
Records for Merrel go back to 1908, giving 48 years of history through 1955.
What names are similar to Merrel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Merle, Merlin, Merrill, Mervin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Merrel's data

  • Merrel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (89 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 1950s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Merrel

Nearby Names Like Merrel

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merrel

Merle Boy
#3450 30,666 births
Merlin Boy
#2336 15,049 births
Merrill Boy
#6145 12,988 births
Mervin Boy
#2367 12,322 births
Merritt Boy
#1500 6,151 births

Compare Merrel side by side: Merrel vs Merle Merrel vs Merlin Merrel vs Merrill

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Abron
259 births · Peak 1946
Seymore
259 births · Peak 1920
Orlen
259 births · Peak 1934
Arwin #8306
259 births · Peak 2019
Adom
259 births · Peak 2019
Tramayne
259 births · Peak 1980
Najeeb
259 births · Peak 2001
Melquan
259 births · Peak 1992

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Merrel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1908–1955 (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 Merrel 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.