Total births
351
Girls' name · since 1912
Merriam
351 babies named Merriam in U.S. Social Security records since 1912, with the highest year being 1922. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 351
- total births
- 1912–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
Merriam sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 351 recorded since 1912.
Social Security Administration records show Merriam recorded 351 times among girls since 1912, 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 1912 to 2025.
- 351 total births
- 1912–2025 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 27% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
351 girls have been named Merriam since 1912, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2025.
- 351
- total births
- 1912–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Merriam was born in this single decade.
1922
Single peak year
16 babies were named Merriam in 1922 - its busiest year on record.
Merriam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Merriam splits its recorded history at 1936: 42% of all births land in the more recent half, 58% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1912 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1922 peak of 16 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Merriam at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1922
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1912
Merriam popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Merriam by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Merriam's strongest decade.
96 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Merriam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
72 births
- 1920s
1920s
96 births
- 1930s
1930s
55 births
- 1940s
1940s
64 births
- 1950s 32
1950s
32 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s 11
2000s
11 births
- 2010s 6
2010s
6 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 96 births (27% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merriam? ▼
351 babies have been named Merriam since 1912. It was last recorded in 2025. The peak year was 1922 with 16 births.
When was Merriam most popular? ▼
Merriam was most popular in the 1920s decade with 96 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
How long has the name Merriam been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Merriam since 1912 -- 114 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Merriam? ▼
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 Merriam's data
- Merriam's decade-level peak was the 1920s (96 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Merriam
Nearby Names Like Merriam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merriam
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 Merriam side by side: Merriam vs Meredith Merriam vs Mercedes Merriam vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merriam: Baby Name Since 1912 - 351 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merriam. 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 Merriam 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 July 2026.