Total births
10,369
Girls' name · since 1898
Merry
Merry has 10,369 recorded births since 1898 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1954 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6942
- among girls today
- 10,369
- born since 1898
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 61%
- more common than other girls
Merry currently ranks #6942 among girls' names in America, with 10,369 babies recorded since 1898.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merry has been recorded 10,369 times among girls since 1898, currently ranked #6942 nationally and more common than 61% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1898 to 2025.
- #6942 among girls today
- 10,369 born since 1898
- 1950s peak decade
- 61% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Merry is currently the #6942 girls' name in America, more common than 61% of girls - 10,369 born since 1898, peaking in the 1950s.
- #6942
- among girls today
- 10,369
- born since 1898
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 61%
- more common than other girls
Merry vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6942
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 61% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Merry was born in this single decade.
1954
Single peak year
355 babies were named Merry in 1954 - its busiest year on record.
How Merry compares
10,369 Top 9% higher than 91% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Merry's all-time total is 27x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Merry | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,369 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 355 | 48 | 19,840 |
Merry's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Merry's full recorded timeline at 1965, 25% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 75% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1898, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1954 peak of 355 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Merry at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1954
Current rank
#6,942
Active since
1898
Merry popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1898–2025
- Peak year (1954)
- 355
- Annual births at peak, across 128 years of records
Merry by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Merry's strongest decade.
2,972 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Merry births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 30
1900s
30 births
- 1910s 209
1910s
209 births
- 1920s 495
1920s
495 births
- 1930s 661
1930s
661 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,246 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,972 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,833 births
- 1970s 698
1970s
698 births
- 1980s 436
1980s
436 births
- 1990s 293
1990s
293 births
- 2000s 200
2000s
200 births
- 2010s 206
2010s
206 births
- 2020s 85
2020s
85 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 2,972 births (29% of all-time use).
How Merry 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 Merry's total volume
Merry vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Merry by state
Where Merry concentrates geographically, total births since 1898
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 852 | 8.2% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 583 | 5.6% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 534 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Texas | | 516 | 5.0% |
| #5 | New York | | 428 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 356 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 274 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 244 | 2.4% |
California share of Merry's total US births 8.2%
Even split
852 of 10,369 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Merry appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merry? ▼
Since 1898, Social Security records show 10,369 babies named Merry. Today it holds rank #6942 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1954, with 355 births.
When was Merry most popular? ▼
Merry was most popular in the 1950s decade with 2,972 total births. The single peak year was 1954.
Where is Merry most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Merry are California (852 births), Illinois (583 births), Michigan (534 births).
How long has the name Merry been used? ▼
Merry has been recorded in Social Security data since 1898, spanning 128 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Merry? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Meredith, Mercedes, Merle, Mercy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Merry's data
- Merry's decade-level peak was the 1950s (2,972 total births); usage has since declined to 85 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Merrys (852 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Merry
Nearby Names Like Merry
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merry
Meredith Girl
#492 77,787 births
Mercedes Girl
#1446 46,206 births
Merle Girl
14,723 births
Mercy Girl
#845 10,632 births
Meryl Girl
#5450 5,167 births
Compare Merry side by side: Merry vs Meredith Merry vs Mercedes Merry vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Merry
Michael #6941
21,880 births · Peak 1986
Maryan #6943
1,586 births · Peak 2013
Jay #6940
2,584 births · Peak 1962
Maryelizabeth #6944
2,094 births · Peak 2001
Apolonia #6939
1,084 births · Peak 1990
Ynez #6945
231 births · Peak 2025
Jeanie #6938
17,148 births · Peak 1957
Marsha #6946
104,191 births · Peak 1952
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, 1898–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Merry: #6942 Girls' Name - 10,369 Births, Peak 1954." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/merry. 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 Merry 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.