Boys' name · since 1880
Merton
Merton has 4,247 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1920 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,995 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 4,247
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
4,247 boys have been named Merton since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Merton recorded 4,247 times among boys since 1880, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 1995.
- #1,995 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 4,247 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Merton ranks #1,995 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 4,247 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,995 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 4,247
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Merton's 4,247 recorded births place it above 95.61% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
19 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
Merton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Merton splits its recorded history at 1932: 35% of all births land in the more recent half, 65% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1983 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 150 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Merton popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1995
- Peak year (1920)
- 150
- Annual births at peak, across 116 years of records
Merton by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (1,311 births, 31% of the file).
1920s was Merton's strongest decade.
1,311 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Merton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 158
1880s
158 births
- 1890s 128
1890s
128 births
- 1900s 145
1900s
145 births
- 1910s
1910s
821 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,311 births
- 1930s
1930s
761 births
- 1940s 428
1940s
428 births
- 1950s 239
1950s
239 births
- 1960s 135
1960s
135 births
- 1970s 84
1970s
84 births
- 1980s 27
1980s
27 births
- 1990s 10
1990s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,311 births (31% of all-time use).
How Merton 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 Merton's total volume
Merton by state
Where Merton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 465 | 10.9% |
| #2 | Maine | | 239 | 5.6% |
| #3 | Minnesota | | 210 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 198 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 185 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 166 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 63 | 1.5% |
| #8 | California | | 62 | 1.5% |
465 of 4,247 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 19 reporting states.
Merton appears in 19 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Merton? ▼
Where does Merton sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Merton most popular? ▼
Where is Merton most popular? ▼
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What to do with Merton's data
- Merton's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,311 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Mertons (465 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Merton
Nearby Names Like Merton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Merton
Compare Merton side by side: Merton vs Merle Merton vs Merlin Merton vs Merrill
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Merton: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1920)
Similar record span (~115 yrs)
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, 1880–1995 (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 Merton 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.