Total births
1,871
Girls' name · since 1923
Merrilee
1,871 babies named Merrilee in U.S. Social Security records since 1923, with the highest year being 1942. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 1,871
- total births
- 1923–2023
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
1,871 girls have been named Merrilee since 1923, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Merrilee has 1,871 recorded births among girls since 1923, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1923 to 2023.
- 1,871 total births
- 1923–2023 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 31% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,871 girls have been named Merrilee since 1923, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 2023.
- 1,871
- total births
- 1923–2023
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Merrilee was born in this single decade.
1942
Single peak year
78 babies were named Merrilee in 1942 - its busiest year on record.
Merrilee's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Merrilee's full recorded timeline at 1964, 26% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 74% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1987, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1942 peak of 78 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Merrilee at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
1942
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1923
Merrilee popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1923–2023
- Peak year (1942)
- 78
- Annual births at peak, across 101 years of records
Merrilee by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Merrilee's strongest decade.
578 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Merrilee births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 27
1920s
27 births
- 1930s 62
1930s
62 births
- 1940s
1940s
567 births
- 1950s
1950s
578 births
- 1960s
1960s
301 births
- 1970s 203
1970s
203 births
- 1980s 88
1980s
88 births
- 1990s 24
1990s
24 births
- 2000s 11
2000s
11 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 578 births (31% of all-time use).
How Merrilee 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 Merrilee's total volume
Merrilee vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Merrilee by state
Where Merrilee concentrates geographically, total births since 1923
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 195 | 10.4% |
| #2 | Washington | | 85 | 4.5% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 64 | 3.4% |
| #4 | New York | | 55 | 2.9% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 47 | 2.5% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 30 | 1.6% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 25 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Utah | | 20 | 1.1% |
California share of Merrilee's total US births 10.4%
Even split
195 of 1,871 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Merrilee appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merrilee? ▼
Merrilee has been given to 1,871 babies in the U.S. since 1923, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2023. 78 babies were born in 1942, its single highest year.
When was Merrilee most popular? ▼
Merrilee was most popular in the 1950s decade with 578 total births. The single peak year was 1942.
Where is Merrilee most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Merrilee are California (195 births), Washington (85 births), Illinois (64 births).
How long has the name Merrilee been used? ▼
Merrilee has been recorded in Social Security data since 1923, spanning 101 years of data through 2023.
What names are similar to Merrilee? ▼
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 Merrilee's data
- Merrilee's decade-level peak was the 1950s (578 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.
- California records the most Merrilees (195 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Merrilee
Nearby Names Like Merrilee
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merrilee
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 Merrilee side by side: Merrilee vs Meredith Merrilee vs Mercedes Merrilee vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1923–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merrilee: Baby Name Since 1923 - 1,871 Births, Peak 1942." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merrilee. 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 Merrilee 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.