Fun Facts About the Name Merril
- 992 babies named Merril: U.S. records list 992 babies given the name Merril from 1880 through 2025. Even 134 girls received the name Merril - about 1 girl for every 6 boys.
What Does the Name Merril Mean?
Merril is a spelling variant of Merrill, an English surname also used as a given name. The usual derivation is from a Norman French personal name of Germanic origin, formed from elements meaning "fame" and "rule"; the conventional meaning is therefore "famous ruler." That personal name was brought to England after the Norman Conquest and survives in surname forms such as Merrill and Merrell. Some popular name books give the meaning "bright sea," but that sense belongs to the similar-looking name Muriel/Meryl and is not the usual etymology of Merrill.
Merril Name History & Origins
The surname Merrill is recorded in England in the medieval period and is generally treated as a Norman-derived name. Its Old French source was a personal name, and the surname arose when such personal names became hereditary. Spelling varied in early records, producing forms such as Merel, Merell, and Merrill; the one-l Merril is a later simplified variant of the same surname.
Merrill entered English given-name use through the practice of using a family surname as a child's first name. In the United States, that practice was common in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Merrill appears as a masculine given name in that tradition. The spelling Merril follows the same surname-derived pattern and does not point to a separate origin. It should not be confused with Meryl, a variant of Muriel with a different history.
How Popular is the Name Merril?
Merril has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1920. Its best rank was #1,201 in 1920.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | #7,490 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #7,003 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1957 | #6,734 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #4,365 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #5,640 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #5,545 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #4,788 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #3,168 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1949 | #3,329 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1948 | #5,072 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1947 | #4,233 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1945 | #3,060 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1943 | #4,538 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #2,936 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1941 | #4,278 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #5,365 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1922 | #5,533 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1915 | #4,750 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1914 | #3,483 | 6 | 0.0008% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | #13,913 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1980 | #5,985 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #5,034 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #4,739 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #3,835 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #3,202 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #3,890 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #3,547 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #2,597 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #2,451 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1955 | #3,124 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #2,389 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #4,172 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #2,813 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1951 | #2,598 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #2,393 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1949 | #2,084 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1948 | #2,727 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1947 | #2,803 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1946 | #2,002 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1945 | #1,903 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1944 | #2,156 | 12 | 0.0009% |
| 1943 | #1,680 | 19 | 0.0013% |
| 1942 | #2,019 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1941 | #1,969 | 14 | 0.0011% |
| 1940 | #2,053 | 13 | 0.0011% |
| 1939 | #1,936 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1938 | #2,280 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1937 | #1,804 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1936 | #1,703 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1935 | #1,634 | 19 | 0.0018% |
| 1934 | #2,214 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1933 | #1,575 | 20 | 0.0020% |
| 1932 | #1,827 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1931 | #1,814 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1930 | #1,938 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1929 | #1,840 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1928 | #1,504 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1927 | #2,373 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1926 | #1,372 | 29 | 0.0026% |
| 1925 | #1,564 | 24 | 0.0022% |
| 1924 | #1,349 | 31 | 0.0027% |
| 1923 | #1,480 | 26 | 0.0024% |
| 1922 | #1,426 | 28 | 0.0026% |
| 1921 | #1,314 | 32 | 0.0029% |
| 1920 | #1,201 | 37 | 0.0035% |
| 1919 | #1,402 | 27 | 0.0028% |
| 1918 | #1,332 | 29 | 0.0029% |
| 1917 | #1,423 | 25 | 0.0027% |
| 1916 | #1,677 | 19 | 0.0021% |
| 1915 | #1,696 | 18 | 0.0021% |
| 1914 | #1,426 | 19 | 0.0029% |
| 1913 | #1,236 | 18 | 0.0035% |
| 1912 | #1,401 | 13 | 0.0030% |
| 1910 | #1,277 | 8 | 0.0041% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Merril Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Merril's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Merril's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.