Total births
5,167
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.
- #5450
- among girls today
- 5,167
- born since 1892
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other girls
Meryl currently ranks #5450 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 #5450 nationally today, ahead of 69% 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.
- #5450 among girls today
- 5,167 born since 1892
- 1950s peak decade
- 69% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Meryl is currently the #5450 unisex name in America, more common than 69% of girls - 5,167 born since 1892, peaking in the 1950s.
- #5450
- among girls today
- 5,167
- born since 1892
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other girls
Meryl vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5450
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 69% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Meryl was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
156 babies were named Meryl in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Meryl compares
5,167 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Meryl's all-time total is 14x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Meryl | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,167 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 156 | 48 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#5,450
Active since
1892
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
New York share of Meryl's total US births 32.3%
Even split
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? ▼
5,167 babies have been named Meryl since 1892. It currently ranks #5450 among girls. The peak year was 1956 with 156 births.
When was Meryl most popular? ▼
Meryl was most popular in the 1950s decade with 1,283 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Meryl most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Meryl are New York (1,671 births), New Jersey (221 births), Pennsylvania (158 births).
Is Meryl a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Meryl is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 5,167 births, and as a boy's name it has 432 births.
How long has the name Meryl been used? ▼
Meryl has been recorded in Social Security data since 1892, spanning 134 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Meryl? ▼
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 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
- 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 Meryl
Nearby Names Like Meryl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Meryl
Meredith Girl
#492 77,787 births
Mercedes Girl
#1446 46,206 births
Merle Girl
14,723 births
Mercy Girl
#845 10,632 births
Merry Girl
#6942 10,369 births
Compare Meryl side by side: Meryl vs Meredith Meryl vs Mercedes Meryl vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Meryl
Celena #5449
4,789 births · Peak 1995
Antonina #5451
2,804 births · Peak 1915
Luanna #5448
1,943 births · Peak 1960
Gracy #5452
1,604 births · Peak 2007
Zelia #5447
1,177 births · Peak 2025
Zenith #5453
448 births · Peak 2023
Elenor #5446
2,268 births · Peak 1921
Alise #5454
3,613 births · Peak 1987
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, 1892–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Meryl: #5450 Unisex Name - 5,167 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/meryl. 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 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 June 2026.