NameData
Name file · Boy · SSA 1880–2024
Merle
Merle is a boy's name.
▲ Risingthe Greatest Generation
30,630
Total named
70
Avg ageestimated
1925
Peak year
#4,554
Rank in 2024
Merle peaked in 1925, when about 836 boys were given the name. Today it has nearly vanished from the charts, sitting at 4,554th — down about 97% from its peak. Most people named Merle today are around 70 years old (estimated) — squarely the Greatest Generation. In all, roughly 30,630 boys have been named Merle since record-keeping began in 1880.

📈 Popularity over time

How many boys were named Merle each year, 1880–2024.
Peak: 1925836 boys18801900192019401960198020002020

♀ ♂ A shared name

Merle is given to both girls and boys. Among everyone with this name:
32% girls
68% boys

↔ Names from the same era

Other boys' names that peaked around the same time as Merle:
AubreyWilfredReubenBoydPercyGrover
Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (public domain), 1880–2024. Average age is estimated from a survival curve, not actuarial tables.
← Look up another name

How we read a name

Every figure on this page comes from the U.S. Social Security Administration's public-domain record of names given to babies born in the United States from 1880 to 2024. The SSA only counts a name in a year if at least five babies received it.

Popularity & rank

The trajectory shows how many boys were named Merle each year. The peak year is simply the year that count was highest, and the rank is where the name sat among all boys' names in 2024.

Estimated average age

We estimate the typical age of living people with this name by combining how many were born each year with a rough survival curve. It's a useful approximation for "how old does this name feel," not a precise actuarial figure — that's why we always label it estimated.

For general informational and entertainment purposes only. Counts reflect U.S. SSA card applications and may differ from total births. Figures are rounded.