Unisex name · since 1892
Meryl
Since 1892, U.S. Social Security records show 5,167 babies named Meryl, peaking in 1956. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,514 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #8,384 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,167
- born since 1892
- 1950s
- peak decade
Meryl currently ranks #8384 among unisex names in America, with 5,167 babies recorded since 1892.
Social Security Administration records show Meryl recorded 5,167 times among girls since 1892, holding rank #8384 nationally today, ahead of 52% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1892 to 2025.
- #2,514 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #8,384 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 5,167 born since 1892
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Meryl ranks #2,514 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,384 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 5,167 born since 1892, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2,514 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #8,384 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,167
- born since 1892
- 1950s
- peak decade
Meryl's 5,167 recorded births place it above 96.52% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
11 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Meryl compares
5,167 Top 14% higher than 86% of 17,297 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
Meryl's all-time total is 14x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Meryl | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,167 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 156 | 21 | 19,840 |
Meryl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Meryl splits its recorded history at 1962: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1893 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1956 peak of 156 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Meryl popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1892–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 156
- Annual births at peak, across 134 years of records
Meryl popularity over time - boys
432 total births recorded since 1912 (Meryl as boys' name)
Meryl by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (1,283 births, 25% of the file).
1950s was Meryl's strongest decade.
1,283 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Meryl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 31
1890s
31 births
- 1900s 49
1900s
49 births
- 1910s 188
1910s
188 births
- 1920s 315
1920s
315 births
- 1930s 290
1930s
290 births
- 1940s
1940s
627 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,283 births
- 1960s
1960s
611 births
- 1970s 199
1970s
199 births
- 1980s
1980s
663 births
- 1990s 335
1990s
335 births
- 2000s 203
2000s
203 births
- 2010s 263
2010s
263 births
- 2020s 110
2020s
110 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 1,283 births (25% of all-time use).
How Meryl 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 Meryl's total volume
Meryl by state
Where Meryl concentrates geographically, total births since 1892
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,671 | 32.3% |
| #2 | New Jersey | | 221 | 4.3% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 158 | 3.1% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 126 | 2.4% |
| #5 | California | | 105 | 2.0% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 102 | 2.0% |
| #7 | Florida | | 16 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 15 | 0.3% |
1,671 of 5,167 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Meryl appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Meryl? ▼
Where does Meryl sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Meryl most popular? ▼
Where is Meryl most popular? ▼
Is Meryl a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Meryl been used? ▼
What names are similar to Meryl? ▼
What to do with Meryl's data
- Meryl's decade-level peak was the 1950s (1,283 total births); usage has since declined to 110 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Meryls (1,671 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 Meryl
Nearby Names Like Meryl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Meryl
Compare Meryl side by side: Meryl vs Meredith Meryl vs Mercedes Meryl vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Meryl
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Meryl: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~133 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, 1892–2025 (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 Meryl 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.