Merit

MEH-ritt; mehr-eet

English word name, variation of Merritt, variation of Marit and Maret, Ancient Egyptian

"good and worthy; boundary, gate; pearl; the beloved one"

Merit Origin and Meaning

The name Merit is a girl's name meaning "good and worthy; boundary, gate; pearl; the beloved one".

Short, concise, and cheerful, Merit is a name with several possible roots. From its English origins, it could be viewed as a virtue name, celebrating commendable good behaviour. Equally, it could be seen as a streamlined form of Merritt, an Old English surname meaning "boundary". Rising in the US, albeit slowly, Merit may be given to more babies in coming years, due to the recent interest in unusual virtue names, last names as first names, and for word names.

Alternatively, Merit can be used as a variation of the Estonian Maret or the Swedish Marit, both of which ultimately derive from the classic Margaret. In this case, the name would mean "pearl".

Finally, Merit (also spelled Meryt) was an Ancient Egyptian name, derived from mryt meaning "beloved one". It is the feminine form of mrj or Meri, meaning "loved" or "desired". This could then link the name to the Biblical Mary, which some scholars believe came from the same Egyptian root, to mean "beloved".

Popularity of the name Merit

• 1541 Nameberry 2025

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