Total births
6,151
Unisex name · since 1880
Merritt
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 6,151 babies named Merritt, peaking in 1924. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1891
- among boys today
- 6,151
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Merritt currently ranks #1891 among unisex names in America, with 6,151 babies recorded since 1880.
Merritt has 6,151 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1891 as of the latest data, more common than 87% of boys, 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 1880 to 2025.
- #1891 among boys today
- 6,151 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 87% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Merritt is currently the #1891 unisex name in America, more common than 87% of boys - 6,151 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1891
- among boys today
- 6,151
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Merritt vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1891
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 87% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Merritt was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
121 babies were named Merritt in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
How Merritt compares
6,151 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Merritt's all-time total is 17x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Merritt | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,151 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 121 | 23 | 22,252 |
Merritt's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Merritt's full recorded timeline at 1953, 45% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 55% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1924 peak of 121 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Merritt at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1924
Current rank
#1,891
Active since
1880
Merritt popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 121
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Merritt popularity over time - girls
3,231 total births recorded since 1919 (Merritt as girls' name)
Merritt by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Merritt's strongest decade.
966 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Merritt births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 121
1880s
121 births
- 1890s 168
1890s
168 births
- 1900s 131
1900s
131 births
- 1910s
1910s
650 births
- 1920s
1920s
966 births
- 1930s
1930s
638 births
- 1940s
1940s
574 births
- 1950s
1950s
469 births
- 1960s 333
1960s
333 births
- 1970s 215
1970s
215 births
- 1980s 208
1980s
208 births
- 1990s 194
1990s
194 births
- 2000s 268
2000s
268 births
- 2010s
2010s
692 births
- 2020s
2020s
524 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 966 births (16% of all-time use).
How Merritt 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 Merritt's total volume
Merritt vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Merritt by state
Where Merritt concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 366 | 6.0% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 224 | 3.6% |
| #3 | California | | 155 | 2.5% |
| #4 | Texas | | 128 | 2.1% |
| #5 | Indiana | | 99 | 1.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 93 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 90 | 1.5% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 88 | 1.4% |
New York share of Merritt's total US births 6.0%
Even split
366 of 6,151 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 29 reporting states.
Merritt appears in 29 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merritt? ▼
6,151 babies have been named Merritt since 1880. It currently ranks #1891 among boys. The peak year was 1924 with 121 births.
When was Merritt most popular? ▼
Merritt was most popular in the 1920s decade with 966 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Merritt most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Merritt are New York (366 births), Pennsylvania (224 births), California (155 births).
Is Merritt a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Merritt is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 6,151 births, and as a girl's name it has 3,231 births.
How long has the name Merritt been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Merritt since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Merritt? ▼
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 Merritt's data
- Merritt's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (966 total births) through the 2020s (524) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Merritts (366 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Merritt
Nearby Names Like Merritt
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merritt
Merle Boy
#4573 30,666 births
Merlin Boy
#2063 15,049 births
Merrill Boy
#10939 12,988 births
Mervin Boy
#2394 12,322 births
Merrick Boy
#1212 5,792 births
Compare Merritt side by side: Merritt vs Merle Merritt vs Merlin Merritt vs Merrill
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Merritt
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. "Merritt: #1891 Unisex Name - 6,151 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merritt. 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 Merritt 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.