Merritt
Merritt is given to both girls and boys: 401 girls and 117 boys were given it in 2025 (#703 among girls’ names and #1,505 among boys’, #1,142 among all names counting both); 9,382 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026). Girls have outnumbered boys among babies named Merritt every year since 2014.
An estimated 6,110 Americans named Merritt and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (65% of everyone recorded); the median is 14 years old and half are between 6 and 45.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Merritt by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Merritt mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Merritt is “a male given name transferred from the surname, of 19th and 20th century usage.”
Also “a female given name from surname, of 1970s and later usage.”
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Merritt?
#1,505 among boys’ names, 2025
Merritt rose from #2,032 in 2015 to #1,505 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 37.0 to 68.5 per million.
518 babies in 2025, the peak
Merritt peaked in 2025, when 518 babies were given it (117 boys, #1,505 among boys’ names). In 2024 it went to 84 boys.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 401 | #703 | 117 | #1,505 |
| 2024 | 159 | #1,410 | 84 | #1,900 |
| 2023 | 136 | #1,563 | 83 | #1,904 |
| 2022 | 139 | #1,544 | 78 | #1,976 |
| 2021 | 127 | #1,648 | 82 | #1,881 |
| 2020 | 139 | #1,531 | 80 | #1,862 |
| 2019 | 133 | #1,603 | 87 | #1,783 |
| 2018 | 151 | #1,459 | 106 | #1,581 |
| 2017 | 175 | #1,333 | 105 | #1,565 |
| 2016 | 155 | #1,481 | 78 | #1,898 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 81 | #2,308 | 71 | #2,032 |
| 2014 | 87 | #2,191 | 65 | #2,132 |
| 2013 | 50 | #3,249 | 62 | #2,155 |
| 2012 | 43 | #3,689 | 42 | #2,851 |
| 2011 | 38 | #3,981 | 40 | #2,935 |
| 2010 | 31 | #4,698 | 36 | #3,158 |
| 2009 | 31 | #4,771 | 34 | #3,308 |
| 2008 | 44 | #3,686 | 28 | #3,794 |
| 2007 | 35 | #4,352 | 32 | #3,419 |
| 2006 | 22 | #6,061 | 28 | #3,655 |
| 2005 | 39 | #3,779 | 27 | #3,583 |
| 2004 | 34 | #4,148 | 28 | #3,420 |
| 2003 | 44 | #3,324 | 20 | #4,218 |
| 2002 | 25 | #4,847 | 26 | #3,416 |
| 2001 | 36 | #3,675 | 21 | #3,926 |
| 2000 | 29 | #4,251 | 24 | #3,488 |
| 1999 | 32 | #3,765 | 23 | #3,447 |
| 1998 | 20 | #5,283 | 15 | #4,560 |
| 1997 | 34 | #3,414 | 20 | #3,541 |
| 1996 | 30 | #3,689 | 20 | #3,496 |
| 1995 | 35 | #3,260 | 25 | #2,892 |
| 1994 | 24 | #4,329 | 18 | #3,697 |
| 1993 | 11 | #7,868 | 21 | #3,205 |
| 1992 | 19 | #5,191 | 18 | #3,551 |
| 1991 | 21 | #4,746 | 18 | #3,408 |
| 1990 | 22 | #4,463 | 16 | #3,714 |
| 1989 | 21 | #4,455 | 29 | #2,328 |
| 1988 | 21 | #4,257 | 18 | #3,033 |
| 1987 | 23 | #3,819 | 24 | #2,370 |
| 1986 | 22 | #3,838 | 25 | #2,267 |
| 1985 | 23 | #3,691 | 21 | #2,479 |
| 1984 | 21 | #3,827 | 16 | #2,902 |
| 1983 | 12 | #5,688 | 21 | #2,383 |
| 1982 | 11 | #6,201 | 16 | #2,926 |
| 1981 | 14 | #5,143 | 20 | #2,465 |
| 1980 | 16 | #4,661 | 18 | #2,691 |
| 1979 | 25 | #3,298 | 23 | #2,210 |
| 1978 | 29 | #2,838 | 19 | #2,445 |
| 1977 | 18 | #4,006 | 25 | #1,982 |
| 1976 | 17 | #3,900 | 14 | #2,910 |
| 1975 | 21 | #3,361 | 19 | #2,334 |
| 1974 | 19 | #3,516 | 19 | #2,248 |
| 1973 | 16 | #3,897 | 18 | #2,290 |
| 1972 | 21 | #3,132 | 25 | #1,805 |
| 1971 | 15 | #4,057 | 25 | #1,813 |
| 1970 | 31 | #2,430 | 28 | #1,646 |
| 1969 | 33 | #2,240 | 30 | #1,483 |
| 1968 | 32 | #2,151 | 24 | #1,630 |
| 1967 | 27 | #2,360 | 25 | #1,556 |
| 1966 | 37 | #1,901 | 34 | #1,317 |
| 1965 | under 5 | 28 | #1,470 | |
| 1964 | 16 | #3,335 | 40 | #1,226 |
| 1963 | 12 | #3,959 | 31 | #1,418 |
| 1962 | 13 | #3,715 | 39 | #1,255 |
| 1961 | 17 | #3,147 | 44 | #1,201 |
| 1960 | under 5 | 38 | #1,285 | |
| 1959 | under 5 | 49 | #1,110 | |
| 1958 | 5 | #6,710 | 27 | #1,527 |
| 1957 | under 5 | 44 | #1,179 | |
| 1956 | under 5 | 41 | #1,199 | |
| 1955 | under 5 | 49 | #1,081 | |
| 1954 | under 5 | 57 | #988 | |
| 1953 | under 5 | 57 | #951 | |
| 1952 | under 5 | 46 | #1,073 | |
| 1951 | 6 | #5,230 | 48 | #1,033 |
| 1950 | under 5 | 51 | #973 | |
| 1949 | under 5 | 55 | #938 | |
| 1948 | under 5 | 57 | #917 | |
| 1947 | under 5 | 56 | #951 | |
| 1946 | under 5 | 60 | #853 | |
| 1945 | under 5 | 54 | #858 | |
| 1944 | under 5 | 57 | #839 | |
| 1943 | under 5 | 68 | #801 | |
| 1942 | under 5 | 53 | #918 | |
| 1941 | under 5 | 61 | #809 | |
| 1940 | under 5 | 53 | #868 | |
| 1939 | under 5 | 67 | #737 | |
| 1938 | under 5 | 63 | #777 | |
| 1937 | under 5 | 61 | #792 | |
| 1936 | under 5 | 69 | #727 | |
| 1935 | under 5 | 51 | #890 | |
| 1934 | under 5 | 63 | #784 | |
| 1933 | under 5 | 62 | #778 | |
| 1932 | under 5 | 58 | #840 | |
| 1931 | under 5 | 69 | #749 | |
| 1930 | under 5 | 75 | #734 | |
| 1929 | under 5 | 79 | #698 | |
| 1928 | under 5 | 89 | #668 | |
| 1927 | under 5 | 83 | #715 | |
| 1926 | under 5 | 94 | #653 | |
| 1925 | under 5 | 82 | #716 | |
| 1924 | under 5 | 121 | #580 | |
| 1923 | under 5 | 89 | #686 | |
| 1922 | under 5 | 107 | #623 | |
| 1921 | under 5 | 115 | #594 | |
| 1920 | under 5 | 107 | #612 | |
| 1919 | 5 | #5,328 | 80 | #700 |
| 1918 | under 5 | 93 | #640 | |
| 1917 | under 5 | 97 | #606 | |
| 1916 | under 5 | 95 | #598 | |
| 1915 | under 5 | 80 | #649 | |
| 1914 | under 5 | 55 | #691 | |
| 1913 | under 5 | 65 | #537 | |
| 1912 | under 5 | 52 | #559 | |
| 1911 | under 5 | 19 | #748 | |
| 1910 | under 5 | 14 | #847 | |
| 1909 | under 5 | 14 | #792 | |
| 1908 | under 5 | 9 | #999 | |
| 1907 | under 5 | 13 | #766 | |
| 1906 | under 5 | 19 | #535 | |
| 1905 | under 5 | 19 | #542 | |
| 1904 | under 5 | 16 | #584 | |
| 1903 | under 5 | 12 | #685 | |
| 1902 | under 5 | 14 | #604 | |
| 1901 | under 5 | 8 | #828 | |
| 1900 | under 5 | 7 | #1,132 | |
| 1899 | under 5 | 22 | #400 | |
| 1898 | under 5 | 22 | #426 | |
| 1897 | under 5 | 17 | #487 | |
| 1896 | under 5 | 14 | #579 | |
| 1895 | under 5 | 14 | #570 | |
| 1894 | under 5 | 22 | #405 | |
| 1893 | under 5 | 15 | #496 | |
| 1892 | under 5 | 17 | #491 | |
| 1891 | under 5 | 13 | #516 | |
| 1890 | under 5 | 12 | #587 | |
| 1889 | under 5 | 12 | #572 | |
| 1888 | under 5 | 12 | #595 | |
| 1887 | under 5 | 14 | #474 | |
| 1886 | under 5 | 10 | #629 | |
| 1885 | under 5 | 19 | #420 | |
| 1884 | under 5 | 9 | #686 | |
| 1883 | under 5 | 9 | #669 | |
| 1882 | under 5 | 5 | #1,042 | |
| 1881 | under 5 | 13 | #499 | |
| 1880 | under 5 | 18 | #418 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Merritt a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 9,382 Americans recorded as Merritt, 34% are girls and 66% boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Merritt: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Merritt, and how old are they?
6,110 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 65% of the 9,382 Americans ever recorded as Merritt. The median Merritt alive today is 14 years old; half are between 6 and 45.
The 2020 Census counted 4,797 people named Merritt (2,122 women and girls, 2,675 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 4,865 born in the U.S. The Census count is 1% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 209 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 632 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 659 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 631 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 969 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 3,010 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Merritt born?
The states with the most babies named Merritt are Texas, North Carolina and Tennessee, with 36% of its births recorded by state in 2025; Tennessee is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 68 | #1,455 | 0.6× |
| North Carolina | 46 | #1,106 | 1.1× |
| Tennessee | 40 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Georgia | 32 | #1,483 | 0.7× |
| Nebraska | 31 | #368 | 0.7× |
| Alabama | 25 | #610 | 0.7× |
| Florida | 25 | #1,772 | 0.3× |
| Kentucky | 15 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| California | 14 | #2,375 | 0.3× |
| Missouri | 14 | #699 | 0.1× |
Where Merritt is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Merritt is most over-represented in North Carolina: since 1910 it was given 1.1 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Merritt with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 9,677 babies since 1880, Merritt is the most given (97% of them). In 2025 it was given to 518 of their 532 babies (97%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Merritt
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Merritt and names like it
- Compare Merritt and MerritBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sMerritt peaked in 2025.
- Texas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Merritt since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Merritt: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2025The year the most babies were named Merritt.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Merritt alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with MMost given first.