Merritt

English surname name

"boundary gate"

Merritt Origin and Meaning

The name Merritt is a girl's name meaning "boundary gate".

Merritt has a long and distinguished history as a surname; the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut and the Merritt Building testify to that. But it wasn't until Emmy-winning actress Merritt Wever came along that we gave it much thought as a girls' name. And we aren't alone. It's grown tremendously in popularity since the premiere of Nurse Jackie, in which Wever played a key role. More than 100 baby girls a year are now named Merritt in the U.S.

Part of the name's considerable appeal may stem from its kinship to the word "merit," making it a modern spin on virtue names like Honor and Grace.

Fun fact about Merritt Wever: She was born Siobhan, another Nameberry favorite name. Merritt is technically her middle name.

Popularity of the name Merritt

• 629 Nameberry 2025
• 567 Unique 2023
• 242 Unisex 2023

20 Names Similar to Merritt

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Merritt.

• Collier
• Hollis
• Layton
• Auraya
• Winslow
• Spenser
• Dace
• Larkin
• Rooney
• Greeley
• Landry
• Murphy
• Wyatt
• Sullivan
• Linden
• Marlo
• Grier
• Greer
• Wynn
• Padgett

Famous People Named Merritt

• Merritt Elizabeth Mathias American soccer player

The name Merritt in Pop Culture

• Merritt Monaco character on the tv show “The Perfect Couple”