Merl
Last seen for girls in 1966 at #6,564 · Last seen for boys in 1986 at #6,721
Given to boys 90.3% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1907 · 18 births
- Debut · boys
- 7 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 2,574since 1886
Merl over time
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | — | ||
| 2024 | — | — | ||
| 2023 | — | — | ||
| 2022 | — | — | ||
| 2021 | — | — | ||
| 2020 | — | — | ||
| 2019 | — | — | ||
| 2018 | — | — | ||
| 2017 | — | — | ||
| 2016 | — | — | ||
| 2015 | — | — | ||
| 2014 | — | — | ||
| 2013 | — | — | ||
| 2012 | — | — | ||
| 2011 | — | — | ||
| 2010 | — | — | ||
| 2009 | — | — | ||
| 2008 | — | — | ||
| 2007 | — | — | ||
| 2006 | — | — | ||
| 2005 | — | — | ||
| 2004 | — | — | ||
| 2003 | — | — | ||
| 2002 | — | — | ||
| 2001 | — | — | ||
| 2000 | — | — | ||
| 1999 | — | — | ||
| 1998 | — | — | ||
| 1997 | — | — | ||
| 1996 | — | — | ||
| 1995 | — | — | ||
| 1994 | — | — | ||
| 1993 | — | — | ||
| 1992 | — | — | ||
| 1991 | — | — | ||
| 1990 | — | — | ||
| 1989 | — | — | ||
| 1988 | — | — | ||
| 1987 | — | — | ||
| 1986 | — | #6,721 | 5 | |
| 1985 | — | #6,523 | 5 | |
| 1984 | — | #6,315 | 5 | |
| 1983 | — | — | ||
| 1982 | — | — | ||
| 1981 | — | — | ||
| 1980 | — | — | ||
| 1979 | — | — | ||
| 1978 | — | — | ||
| 1977 | — | #4,164 | 8 | |
| 1976 | — | #4,935 | 6 | |
| 1975 | — | #4,309 | 7 | |
| 1974 | — | #3,318 | 10 | |
| 1973 | — | #3,223 | 10 | |
| 1972 | — | #2,659 | 13 | |
| 1971 | — | #3,963 | 7 | |
| 1970 | — | #3,521 | 8 | |
| 1969 | — | #2,308 | 14 | |
| 1968 | — | #2,735 | 10 | |
| 1967 | — | #2,242 | 13 | |
| 1966 | #6,564 | 5 | #3,537 | 6 |
| 1965 | — | #2,084 | 15 | |
| 1964 | — | #2,040 | 16 | |
| 1963 | — | #1,628 | 24 | |
| 1962 | — | #2,364 | 12 | |
| 1961 | — | #1,778 | 21 | |
| 1960 | — | #2,210 | 14 | |
| 1959 | — | #1,916 | 18 | |
| 1958 | — | #1,534 | 26 | |
| 1957 | — | #1,715 | 22 | |
| 1956 | — | #1,568 | 25 | |
| 1955 | — | #1,572 | 24 | |
| 1954 | — | #1,956 | 16 | |
| 1953 | — | #1,357 | 31 | |
| 1952 | — | #1,213 | 37 | |
| 1951 | #4,833 | 6 | #1,295 | 32 |
| 1950 | — | #1,232 | 34 | |
| 1949 | — | #1,322 | 30 | |
| 1948 | — | #1,091 | 42 | |
| 1947 | — | #1,190 | 37 | |
| 1946 | — | #1,409 | 25 | |
| 1945 | — | #1,227 | 29 | |
| 1944 | — | #1,212 | 30 | |
| 1943 | — | #1,088 | 39 | |
| 1942 | #4,124 | 6 | #1,119 | 37 |
| 1941 | #4,420 | 5 | #1,230 | 29 |
| 1940 | #3,503 | 7 | #1,156 | 33 |
| 1939 | #4,250 | 5 | #1,272 | 27 |
| 1938 | — | #977 | 42 | |
| 1937 | #4,255 | 5 | #942 | 44 |
| 1936 | #3,103 | 8 | #940 | 43 |
| 1935 | #3,156 | 8 | #1,194 | 31 |
| 1934 | — | #931 | 46 | |
| 1933 | #3,753 | 6 | #1,144 | 33 |
| 1932 | — | #937 | 48 | |
| 1931 | — | #879 | 53 | |
| 1930 | #3,055 | 9 | #1,037 | 44 |
| 1929 | #3,394 | 8 | #844 | 60 |
| 1928 | #4,725 | 5 | #846 | 61 |
| 1927 | #3,561 | 8 | #825 | 65 |
| 1926 | #2,351 | 15 | #776 | 70 |
| 1925 | #3,362 | 9 | #786 | 70 |
| 1924 | #2,661 | 13 | #838 | 66 |
| 1923 | #3,125 | 10 | #791 | 70 |
| 1922 | #3,379 | 9 | #717 | 83 |
| 1921 | #4,464 | 6 | #780 | 74 |
| 1920 | #2,357 | 15 | #766 | 74 |
| 1919 | #3,219 | 9 | #686 | 82 |
| 1918 | #2,822 | 11 | #710 | 79 |
| 1917 | #2,693 | 11 | #749 | 69 |
| 1916 | #3,919 | 6 | #690 | 74 |
| 1915 | #2,688 | 10 | #804 | 57 |
| 1914 | #2,125 | 11 | #724 | 52 |
| 1913 | #3,187 | 5 | #759 | 38 |
| 1912 | #1,620 | 12 | #783 | 31 |
| 1911 | — | #1,190 | 9 | |
| 1910 | — | #928 | 12 | |
| 1909 | — | #1,155 | 7 | |
| 1908 | #1,676 | 7 | #825 | 11 |
| 1907 | — | #591 | 18 | |
| 1906 | #1,951 | 5 | #1,004 | 7 |
| 1905 | — | — | ||
| 1904 | — | #966 | 7 | |
| 1903 | #1,440 | 7 | #910 | 7 |
| 1902 | — | #1,137 | 5 | |
| 1901 | — | #858 | 7 | |
| 1900 | — | — | ||
| 1899 | — | #661 | 10 | |
| 1898 | #1,263 | 8 | #1,121 | 5 |
| 1897 | — | #787 | 8 | |
| 1896 | — | #778 | 9 | |
| 1895 | #1,202 | 8 | #1,079 | 5 |
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | #907 | 6 | |
| 1892 | — | #956 | 6 | |
| 1891 | — | #635 | 9 | |
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | #679 | 8 | |
| 1886 | — | #758 | 7 | |
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five boys were named Merl! It came in at #758, and was given to 7 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1888–1890, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.
See more about Merl
- Not published in 2025; last seen 1986
- Biggest jump: 460 spots in 1899 (#1,121 → #661)
- Biggest drop: 334 spots in 1898 (#787 → #1,121)
- Debuted 1886
- Peaked 1907 at #591 (18 births)
- Births halved by 1909, 2 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 38 yrs · run 1912–1929
- Highest: 1 in 8,157 boys born in 1907 were named Merl (0.01%)
- Latest: 1 in 368,303 boys born in 1986 (0.00%)
- 26.9% of all boys named Merl (693) were born in this decade
- Mostly girls until 1903, mostly boys since
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 15 | #679 (1887) | #719 |
| 1890s | 58 | #635 (1891) | #866 |
| 1900s | 69 | #591 (1907) | #931 |
| 1910s | 503 | #686 (1919) | #802 |
| 1920s | 693 | #717 (1922) | #797 |
| 1930s | 411 | #879 (1931) | #1,025 |
| 1940s | 331 | #1,088 (1943) | #1,204 |
| 1950s | 265 | #1,213 (1952) | #1,536 |
| 1960s | 145 | #1,628 (1963) | #2,293 |
| 1970s | 69 | #2,659 (1972) | #3,762 |
| 1980s | 15 | #6,315 (1984) | #6,520 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Merl in 1928
Top girls' names in 1928
Top boys' names in 1928
More about 1928
girls
1,153,318 girls got a published name in 1928; 1 in 230,664 of them was named Merl, which outranked 13.1% of the 5,440 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Tied with 715 names at #4,725; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,107,613 boys got a published name in 1928; 1 in 18,158 of them was named Merl, which outranked 82.1% of the 4,723 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).