Merritt
Girl name · #703 in 2025 · Distinctive
Merritt ranks #703 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 401 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2294, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,489 girls born in 2025 was named Merritt.
Babies named Merritt per year. Source: SSA.
The 106-year story
Merritt first appears in the Social Security records in 1919, when 5 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 401 babies and a rank of #703. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Merritt against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Merritt in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Merritt is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Merritt is most common
Geography matters for names, and Merritt is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Merritt is most common in NE (3.4 per 1,000), TN (1.2 per 1,000), MS (1.1 per 1,000), AR (0.9 per 1,000), AL (0.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Merritt is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Merritt
Statistically, parents drawn to Merritt tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Bennett, Elliott, Meilani, Arlett, and Marlowe.
BennettElliottMeilaniArlettMarloweMaizieMaisyWyatt
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Merritt | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 401 | #703 |
| 2024 | 159 | #1406 |
| 2023 | 136 | #1557 |
| 2022 | 139 | #1540 |
| 2021 | 127 | #1641 |
| 2020 | 139 | #1524 |
| 2019 | 133 | #1598 |
| 2018 | 151 | #1451 |
| 2017 | 175 | #1331 |
| 2016 | 155 | #1480 |
| 2015 | 81 | #2294 |
| 2014 | 87 | #2176 |
| 2013 | 50 | #3218 |
| 2012 | 43 | #3644 |
| 2011 | 38 | #3916 |
| 2010 | 31 | #4608 |
| 2009 | 31 | #4677 |
| 2008 | 44 | #3645 |
| 2007 | 35 | #4299 |
| 2006 | 22 | #5906 |
| 2005 | 39 | #3730 |
| 2004 | 34 | #4093 |
| 2003 | 44 | #3291 |
| 2002 | 25 | #4767 |
| 2001 | 36 | #3631 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Merritt a popular girl name?
Merritt ranked #703 among girls in 2025 with 401 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2294.
When was the name Merritt most popular?
Merritt peaked in 2025, when 401 American girls received the name (ranked #703 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Merritt?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,489 newborn American girls was named Merritt. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.