Mercy
Boy name · #4163 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Mercy? In official American birth records, Mercy has been tracked continuously since 1919, giving it 106 years of documented American history.
Mercy is currently the #4163 boy name in the United States — 25 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #7066, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 72,000 boys born in 2025 was named Mercy.
Babies named Mercy per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 106-year story
Mercy first appears in the Social Security records in 1919, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 28 babies and a rank of #3883. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Mercy against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mercy in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Mercy is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Mercy will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Mercy is most common
State-level data for Mercy 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 Mercy
Statistically, parents drawn to Mercy tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Motty, Mansa, Renley, Myers, and Leiby.
MottyMansaRenleyMyersLeibyYankyShivayMads
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Mercy | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #4139 |
| 2024 | 24 | #4321 |
| 2023 | 28 | #3883 |
| 2022 | 21 | #4701 |
| 2021 | 20 | #4780 |
| 2020 | 17 | #5235 |
| 2019 | 20 | #4806 |
| 2018 | 13 | #6345 |
| 2017 | 16 | #5526 |
| 2016 | 12 | #6726 |
| 2015 | 11 | #7066 |
| 2014 | 9 | #8130 |
| 2013 | 6 | #10728 |
| 2000 | 5 | #10349 |
| 1919 | 5 | #4168 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Mercy?
In official American birth records, the name Mercy first appeared in 1919 (over 106 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 106 years.
Is Mercy a popular boy name?
Mercy ranked #4163 among boys in 2025 with 25 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #7066.
When was the name Mercy most popular?
Mercy peaked in 2023, when 28 American boys received the name (ranked #3883 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Mercy?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 72,000 newborn American boys was named Mercy. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.