Merit
Girl name · #3140 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Merit? In official American birth records, Merit has been tracked continuously since 1965, giving it 60 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 51 baby girls were named Merit, placing it at #3140 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #8931, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 35,294 girls born in 2025 was named Merit.
Babies named Merit per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 60-year story
Merit first appears in the Social Security records in 1965, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 51 babies and a rank of #3130. 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 Merit against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Merit in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Merit is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Merit will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Merit is most common
State-level data for Merit 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 Merit
Statistically, parents drawn to Merit tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Maela, Mayli, Miral, Summit, and Mehar.
MaelaMayliMiralSummitMeharHayatMaizeeMiraya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Merit | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51 | #3130 |
| 2024 | 15 | #7251 |
| 2023 | 26 | #4999 |
| 2022 | 14 | #7631 |
| 2021 | 14 | #7630 |
| 2020 | 11 | #8953 |
| 2019 | 16 | #7025 |
| 2018 | 8 | #11427 |
| 2017 | 13 | #8299 |
| 2016 | 11 | #9411 |
| 2015 | 12 | #8931 |
| 2014 | 9 | #10955 |
| 2013 | 11 | #9612 |
| 2012 | 8 | #12199 |
| 2011 | 7 | #13347 |
| 2010 | 14 | #8271 |
| 2008 | 6 | #15405 |
| 2007 | 7 | #13924 |
| 2006 | 9 | #11417 |
| 2005 | 9 | #10921 |
| 2004 | 6 | #14179 |
| 2003 | 5 | #15784 |
| 1991 | 5 | #13147 |
| 1986 | 6 | #9545 |
| 1980 | 5 | #10392 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Merit?
In official American birth records, the name Merit first appeared in 1965 (over 60 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 60 years.
Is Merit a popular girl name?
Merit ranked #3140 among girls in 2025 with 51 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #8931.
When was the name Merit most popular?
Merit peaked in 2025, when 51 American girls received the name (ranked #3130 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Merit?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 35,294 newborn American girls was named Merit. 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.