Total births
12,988
Unisex name · since 1880
Merrill
Merrill has 12,988 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1926 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #10939
- among boys today
- 12,988
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Merrill is the #10939 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 12,988 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merrill has been recorded 12,988 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #10939 nationally and more common than 23% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #10939 among boys today
- 12,988 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 23% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Merrill is currently the #10939 unisex name in America, more common than 23% of boys - 12,988 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #10939
- among boys today
- 12,988
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Merrill vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#10939
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 23% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Merrill was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
305 babies were named Merrill in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
How Merrill compares
12,988 Top 7% higher than 93% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Merrill's all-time total is 35x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Merrill | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 12,988 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 305 | 23 | 22,252 |
Merrill's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Merrill's SSA record in two at 1952 and the more recent half accounts for 24% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 76%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1886, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1926 peak of 305, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Merrill at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1926
Current rank
#10,939
Active since
1880
Merrill popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1926)
- 305
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Merrill popularity over time - girls
2,077 total births recorded since 1905 (Merrill as girls' name)
Merrill by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Merrill's strongest decade.
2,820 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Merrill births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 111
1880s
111 births
- 1890s 201
1890s
201 births
- 1900s 317
1900s
317 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,880 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,820 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,298 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,941 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,446 births
- 1960s 774
1960s
774 births
- 1970s 468
1970s
468 births
- 1980s 318
1980s
318 births
- 1990s 192
1990s
192 births
- 2000s 84
2000s
84 births
- 2010s 91
2010s
91 births
- 2020s 47
2020s
47 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,820 births (22% of all-time use).
How Merrill compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Merrill's total volume
Merrill vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Merrill by state
Where Merrill concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 884 | 6.8% |
| #2 | Indiana | | 669 | 5.2% |
| #3 | Iowa | | 649 | 5.0% |
| #4 | New York | | 611 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 611 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 566 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Utah | | 552 | 4.3% |
| #8 | California | | 493 | 3.8% |
Pennsylvania share of Merrill's total US births 6.8%
Even split
884 of 12,988 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Merrill appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merrill? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 12,988 babies named Merrill. Today it holds rank #10939 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1926, with 305 births.
When was Merrill most popular? ▼
Merrill was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,820 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
Where is Merrill most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Merrill are Pennsylvania (884 births), Indiana (669 births), Iowa (649 births).
Is Merrill a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Merrill is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 12,988 births, and as a girl's name it has 2,077 births.
How long has the name Merrill been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Merrill since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Merrill? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Merle, Merlin, Mervin, Merritt, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Merrill's data
- Merrill's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,820 total births); usage has since declined to 47 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Merrills (884 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania 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 Merrill
Nearby Names Like Merrill
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merrill
Merle Boy
#4573 30,666 births
Merlin Boy
#2063 15,049 births
Mervin Boy
#2394 12,322 births
Merritt Boy
#1891 6,151 births
Merrick Boy
#1212 5,792 births
Compare Merrill side by side: Merrill vs Merle Merrill vs Merlin Merrill vs Mervin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Merrill
Vern #10938
11,497 births · Peak 1920
Willam #10940
3,516 births · Peak 1959
Zayaire #10937
12 births · Peak 2024
Alvie #10941
4,094 births · Peak 1921
Zakiyah #10936
7 births · Peak 2024
Phil #10942
20,036 births · Peak 1959
Zaelan #10935
14 births · Peak 2024
Thornton #10943
3,132 births · Peak 1921
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merrill: #10939 Unisex Name - 12,988 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merrill. 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 Merrill 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.