Merrill
About Merrill
Merrill, once fairly common for American boys back in the first half of the 20th-century, is now a rare choice, given to just 7 girls and 6 boys in a recent year. Alternative spelling Meryl is also rare, but it perhaps feels more familiar or up to date thanks to the actress Meryl Streep.
A name with two origins, it may be considered a spin on the Irish name Muriel, giving it an ocean-inspired meaning, or it can be viewed as an English surname meaning "pleasant hill".
Chef Emeril Lagasse dropped the initial E from his name and called his daughter Meril.
Pronounced MER-ul.
As of October 2026, Merrill ranked #11580 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1240 in 1942.
Editor: Sophie Kihm
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Merrill.
- Brody
- Liepa
- Tully
- Merideth
- Mavie
- Selby
- Eloa
- Dimity
- Rona
- Immy
- Lu
- Kerris
- Trilby
- Nica
- Afton
- Réamonnie
- Tandy
- Scotia
- Macia
- Alcott
Merrill on lists
Famous Merrills
- Merrill Ashley
American ballerina
- Merrill Markoe
American TV comedy writer
- Merrill Beth Nisker aka Peaches
Canadian electronic musician
Merrill in pop culture
- Merrill Lynch
American wealth management firm
- Merrill
companion in the video game "Dragon Age II."
- Merrill
first princess in "The Extraordinary Princess" by Carolyn Q. Ebbitt