Unisex name · since 1912

Merrit

Merrit has 183 recorded births since 1912 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1930 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#13,511 of 45,481
all-time among boys
183
born since 1912
1920s
peak decade

Merrit sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 183 recorded since 1912.

Merrit has 183 recorded births among boys since 1912, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2021.

  • #13,511 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 183 born since 1912
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merrit ranks #13,511 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 183 born since 1912, peaking in the 1920s.

#13,511 of 45,481
all-time among boys
183
born since 1912
1920s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Merrit's 183 recorded births place it above 70.28% 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.

Merrit's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Merrit splits its recorded history at 1955: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1912 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1930 peak of 9 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Merrit popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2021

Last recorded 2021
Peak year (1930)
9
Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
45678910 191219201927193919571992201520202021 6

Merrit popularity over time - girls

112 total births recorded since 1961 (Merrit as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 112 births
46810121416 1961196619942003201920232025 14

Merrit by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (33 births, 18% of the file).

1920s was Merrit's strongest decade.

33 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.

Merrit births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 33 births (18% of all-time use).

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Merrit? ▼
Since 1912, Social Security records show 183 babies named Merrit. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #13,511 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 2021. Its busiest year on record was 1930, with 9 births.
Where does Merrit sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merrit ranks #13,511 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 Merrit most popular? ▼
Merrit was most popular in the 1920s decade with 33 total births. The single peak year was 1930.
Is Merrit a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Merrit is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 183 births, and as a girl's name it has 112 births.
How long has the name Merrit been used? ▼
Records for Merrit go back to 1912, giving 110 years of history through 2021.
What names are similar to Merrit? ▼
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 Merrit's data

  • Merrit's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (33 total births) through the 2020s (11) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.

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

Keep exploring Merrit

Nearby Names Like Merrit

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

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 Merrit side by side: Merrit vs Merle Merrit vs Merlin Merrit vs Merrill

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Lauri
183 births · Peak 1920
Bearl
183 births · Peak 1925
Burel
183 births · Peak 1914
Mirko #8304
183 births · Peak 2014
Bacilio
183 births · Peak 2002
Lani
183 births · Peak 1961
Aquarius #10926
183 births · Peak 1996
Deshay
183 births · Peak 1992

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Merrit: 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, 1912–2021 (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 Merrit 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.