Merritt
Boy name · #1500 in 2025 · Very rare
Merritt ranks #1500 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 117 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2019, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 15,385 boys born in 2025 was named Merritt.
The 145-year story
Merritt first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 18 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1924, when 121 boys were named Merritt — good for #579 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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.
Babies named Merritt per year. Source: SSA.
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 "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Merritt will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Merritt is most common
State-level data for Merritt is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
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 Monroe, Meyer, Warner, Harland, and Crawford.
MonroeMeyerWarnerHarlandCrawfordJenningsNobleCasimir
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Merritt | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 117 | #1499 |
| 2024 | 84 | #1891 |
| 2023 | 83 | #1896 |
| 2022 | 78 | #1965 |
| 2021 | 82 | #1870 |
| 2020 | 80 | #1849 |
| 2019 | 87 | #1777 |
| 2018 | 106 | #1576 |
| 2017 | 105 | #1554 |
| 2016 | 78 | #1890 |
| 2015 | 71 | #2019 |
| 2014 | 65 | #2116 |
| 2013 | 62 | #2139 |
| 2012 | 42 | #2811 |
| 2011 | 40 | #2904 |
| 2010 | 36 | #3128 |
| 2009 | 34 | #3274 |
| 2008 | 28 | #3744 |
| 2007 | 32 | #3379 |
| 2006 | 28 | #3602 |
| 2005 | 27 | #3528 |
| 2004 | 28 | #3368 |
| 2003 | 20 | #4114 |
| 2002 | 26 | #3349 |
| 2001 | 21 | #3842 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Merritt a popular boy name?
Merritt ranked #1500 among boys in 2025 with 117 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2019.
When was the name Merritt most popular?
Merritt peaked in 1924, when 121 American boys received the name (ranked #579 that year). Since 1924 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Merritt?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 15,385 newborn American boys was named Merritt. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
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.