Merle
#14,942 for girls in 2025, 5 births · #3,450 for boys in 2025, 33 births
Given to boys 67.6% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1918 · 795 births
- Debut · boys
- 17 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 30,666since 1880
Merle over time
girlsboys
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
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 | #14,942 | 5 | #3,450 | 33 |
| 2024 | — | #4,571 | 22 | |
| 2023 | — | #3,055 | 40 | |
| 2022 | — | #3,995 | 27 | |
| 2021 | — | #4,494 | 22 | |
| 2020 | — | #3,344 | 33 | |
| 2019 | — | #4,480 | 22 | |
| 2018 | — | #4,354 | 23 | |
| 2017 | — | #4,746 | 20 | |
| 2016 | — | #6,053 | 14 | |
| 2015 | — | #4,545 | 21 | |
| 2014 | — | #5,733 | 15 | |
| 2013 | — | #5,404 | 16 | |
| 2012 | — | #8,158 | 9 | |
| 2011 | — | #4,983 | 18 | |
| 2010 | — | #4,366 | 22 | |
| 2009 | — | #4,429 | 22 | |
| 2008 | — | #4,901 | 19 | |
| 2007 | — | #5,210 | 17 | |
| 2006 | — | #3,782 | 26 | |
| 2005 | — | #4,631 | 18 | |
| 2004 | #16,099 | 5 | #4,129 | 21 |
| 2003 | #15,784 | 5 | #3,838 | 22 |
| 2002 | — | #5,395 | 13 | |
| 2001 | — | #2,988 | 30 | |
| 2000 | — | #3,219 | 26 | |
| 1999 | — | #3,376 | 23 | |
| 1998 | — | #3,597 | 20 | |
| 1997 | — | #2,750 | 28 | |
| 1996 | — | #2,679 | 28 | |
| 1995 | #11,783 | 6 | #2,253 | 35 |
| 1994 | — | #2,766 | 26 | |
| 1993 | #11,780 | 6 | #2,257 | 34 |
| 1992 | #11,738 | 6 | #2,253 | 33 |
| 1991 | #13,147 | 5 | #2,227 | 32 |
| 1990 | — | #2,170 | 33 | |
| 1989 | #6,160 | 13 | #2,359 | 28 |
| 1988 | — | #1,525 | 48 | |
| 1987 | #9,825 | 6 | #1,612 | 43 |
| 1986 | #9,545 | 6 | #1,760 | 35 |
| 1985 | — | #1,389 | 49 | |
| 1984 | #9,144 | 6 | #1,294 | 51 |
| 1983 | — | #1,107 | 65 | |
| 1982 | #7,469 | 8 | #1,229 | 57 |
| 1981 | #5,254 | 13 | #1,111 | 67 |
| 1980 | #10,392 | 5 | #1,187 | 59 |
| 1979 | #8,061 | 7 | #991 | 80 |
| 1978 | #5,563 | 11 | #1,134 | 60 |
| 1977 | — | #954 | 80 | |
| 1976 | #9,284 | 5 | #1,030 | 65 |
| 1975 | #6,484 | 8 | #961 | 73 |
| 1974 | #5,776 | 9 | #914 | 79 |
| 1973 | #4,362 | 13 | #825 | 93 |
| 1972 | #4,300 | 13 | #752 | 111 |
| 1971 | #5,136 | 10 | #656 | 157 |
| 1970 | #3,435 | 18 | #717 | 131 |
| 1969 | #3,318 | 17 | #742 | 111 |
| 1968 | #2,789 | 21 | #649 | 135 |
| 1967 | #2,868 | 19 | #763 | 92 |
| 1966 | #2,453 | 24 | #672 | 121 |
| 1965 | #2,464 | 24 | #605 | 159 |
| 1964 | #1,918 | 38 | #607 | 166 |
| 1963 | #1,683 | 46 | #578 | 187 |
| 1962 | #1,540 | 53 | #582 | 180 |
| 1961 | #1,454 | 59 | #595 | 176 |
| 1960 | #1,393 | 62 | #587 | 176 |
| 1959 | #1,230 | 75 | #523 | 227 |
| 1958 | #1,075 | 95 | #506 | 232 |
| 1957 | #1,116 | 88 | #488 | 256 |
| 1956 | #977 | 107 | #439 | 292 |
| 1955 | #916 | 115 | #431 | 289 |
| 1954 | #802 | 137 | #409 | 307 |
| 1953 | #835 | 123 | #388 | 325 |
| 1952 | #770 | 134 | #366 | 340 |
| 1951 | #753 | 136 | #360 | 368 |
| 1950 | #721 | 141 | #339 | 395 |
| 1949 | #675 | 153 | #357 | 354 |
| 1948 | #618 | 179 | #321 | 432 |
| 1947 | #599 | 203 | #344 | 392 |
| 1946 | #549 | 206 | #319 | 406 |
| 1945 | #511 | 205 | #307 | 373 |
| 1944 | #466 | 239 | #305 | 391 |
| 1943 | #486 | 232 | #290 | 448 |
| 1942 | #440 | 275 | #288 | 442 |
| 1941 | #463 | 225 | #254 | 482 |
| 1940 | #443 | 237 | #254 | 467 |
| 1939 | #406 | 275 | #225 | 529 |
| 1938 | #415 | 264 | #228 | 525 |
| 1937 | #370 | 302 | #228 | 519 |
| 1936 | #337 | 341 | #209 | 568 |
| 1935 | #389 | 270 | #226 | 521 |
| 1934 | #447 | 212 | #207 | 599 |
| 1933 | #476 | 183 | #204 | 573 |
| 1932 | #459 | 200 | #210 | 593 |
| 1931 | #441 | 213 | #198 | 662 |
| 1930 | #436 | 237 | #196 | 711 |
| 1929 | #440 | 224 | #188 | 731 |
| 1928 | #389 | 293 | #186 | 764 |
| 1927 | #386 | 311 | #178 | 808 |
| 1926 | #365 | 340 | #180 | 787 |
| 1925 | #333 | 404 | #175 | 836 |
| 1924 | #346 | 383 | #184 | 782 |
| 1923 | #321 | 409 | #180 | 775 |
| 1922 | #330 | 394 | #172 | 835 |
| 1921 | #311 | 442 | #173 | 833 |
| 1920 | #324 | 403 | #171 | 819 |
| 1919 | #331 | 370 | #182 | 721 |
| 1918 | #332 | 375 | #170 | 795 |
| 1917 | #327 | 360 | #178 | 701 |
| 1916 | #312 | 373 | #190 | 604 |
| 1915 | #315 | 353 | #186 | 595 |
| 1914 | #336 | 247 | #201 | 415 |
| 1913 | #313 | 232 | #202 | 331 |
| 1912 | #307 | 221 | #206 | 268 |
| 1911 | #320 | 151 | #236 | 115 |
| 1910 | #333 | 138 | #235 | 100 |
| 1909 | #331 | 120 | #254 | 76 |
| 1908 | #322 | 120 | #244 | 76 |
| 1907 | #329 | 112 | #224 | 82 |
| 1906 | #368 | 84 | #229 | 72 |
| 1905 | #321 | 110 | #254 | 59 |
| 1904 | #339 | 92 | #260 | 53 |
| 1903 | #293 | 112 | #216 | 69 |
| 1902 | #298 | 112 | #242 | 58 |
| 1901 | #316 | 91 | #237 | 52 |
| 1900 | #310 | 113 | #281 | 54 |
| 1899 | #319 | 88 | #257 | 42 |
| 1898 | #355 | 77 | #252 | 49 |
| 1897 | #351 | 70 | #316 | 34 |
| 1896 | #312 | 86 | #277 | 44 |
| 1895 | #303 | 91 | #262 | 46 |
| 1894 | #333 | 70 | #285 | 38 |
| 1893 | #343 | 61 | #341 | 27 |
| 1892 | #338 | 60 | #298 | 38 |
| 1891 | #365 | 46 | #277 | 34 |
| 1890 | #301 | 68 | #345 | 26 |
| 1889 | #371 | 42 | #284 | 35 |
| 1888 | #503 | 25 | #505 | 15 |
| 1887 | #661 | 12 | #333 | 24 |
| 1886 | #606 | 14 | #369 | 22 |
| 1885 | #542 | 16 | #332 | 26 |
| 1884 | #520 | 16 | #416 | 19 |
| 1883 | #499 | 15 | #346 | 23 |
| 1882 | #560 | 11 | #514 | 13 |
| 1881 | #740 | 6 | #487 | 13 |
| 1880 | #738 | 6 | #425 | 17 |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Merle was already there! It came in at #425, and was given to 17 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 2012, when fewer than 10 boys a year got the name.
See more about Merle
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 1,121 spots since 2024 (#4,571 → #3,450)
- 106 spots since 2020 (#3,344 → #3,450)
- 1,095 spots since 2015 (#4,545 → #3,450)
- Biggest jump: 221 spots in 1889 (#505 → #284)
- Biggest drop: 196 spots in 1980 (#991 → #1,187)
Rise & fade · boys
38 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1918 at #170 (795 births)
- Births halved by 1944, 26 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 98 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 98 yrs · run 1880–1975
Share of babies · boys
1 in 1,275
- Highest: 1 in 1,275 boys born in 1918 were named Merle (0.08%)
- Latest: 1 in 51,760 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1920s
- 26.0% of all boys named Merle (7,970) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 1912
- Mostly girls until 1911, mostly boys since
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 207 | #284 (1889) | #401 |
| 1890s | 378 | #252 (1898) | #291 |
| 1900s | 651 | #216 (1903) | #244 |
| 1910s | 4,645 | #170 (1918) | #199 |
| 1920s | 7,970 | #171 (1920) | #179 |
| 1930s | 5,800 | #196 (1930) | #213 |
| 1940s | 4,187 | #254 (1941) | #304 |
| 1950s | 3,031 | #339 (1950) | #425 |
| 1960s | 1,503 | #578 (1963) | #638 |
| 1970s | 929 | #656 (1971) | #893 |
| 1980s | 502 | #1,107 (1983) | #1,457 |
| 1990s | 292 | #2,170 (1990) | #2,633 |
| 2000s | 214 | #2,988 (2001) | #4,252 |
| 2010s | 180 | #4,354 (2018) | #5,282 |
| 2020s | 177 | #3,055 (2023) | #3,818 |
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.
Merle in 1977
boys
#954
80 births · 1 in 20,540 boys
Top boys' names in 1977
More about 1977
boys
1,643,220 boys got a published name in 1977; 1 in 20,540 of them was named Merle, which outranked 86.1% of the 6,861 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).