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.
- #4,910 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,871
- born since 1923
- 1950s
- peak 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.
- #4,910 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,871 born since 1923
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merrilee ranks #4,910 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,871 born since 1923, peaking in the 1950s.
- #4,910 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,871
- born since 1923
- 1950s
- peak decade
Merrilee's 1,871 recorded births place it above 93.21% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
12 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
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 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
1950s is the heaviest window (578 births, 31% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Merrilee sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Merrilee most popular? ▼
Where is Merrilee most popular? ▼
How long has the name Merrilee been used? ▼
What names are similar to Merrilee? ▼
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
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
Compare Merrilee side by side: Merrilee vs Meredith Merrilee vs Mercedes Merrilee 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 Merrilee: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1942)
Similar record span (~100 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, 1923–2023 (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 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 August 2026.