Merle
Boy name · #3450 in 2025 · Uniqueness 77/100
Merle is currently the #3450 boy name in the United States — 33 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #4545, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 54,545 boys born in 2025 was named Merle.
The 145-year story
Merle first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 17 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1925, when 836 boys were named Merle — good for #175 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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.
Babies named Merle per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Merle against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Merle in class?
Merle scores 77 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Merle will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Merle is most common
State-level data for Merle is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Merle
Statistically, parents drawn to Merle tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Mose, Claude, Jimmie, Bennie, and Hubert.
MoseClaudeJimmieBennieHubertMurrayMarionRufus
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Merle | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33 | #3450 |
| 2024 | 22 | #4571 |
| 2023 | 40 | #3055 |
| 2022 | 27 | #3995 |
| 2021 | 22 | #4494 |
| 2020 | 33 | #3344 |
| 2019 | 22 | #4480 |
| 2018 | 23 | #4354 |
| 2017 | 20 | #4746 |
| 2016 | 14 | #6053 |
| 2015 | 21 | #4545 |
| 2014 | 15 | #5733 |
| 2013 | 16 | #5404 |
| 2012 | 9 | #8158 |
| 2011 | 18 | #4983 |
| 2010 | 22 | #4366 |
| 2009 | 22 | #4429 |
| 2008 | 19 | #4901 |
| 2007 | 17 | #5210 |
| 2006 | 26 | #3782 |
| 2005 | 18 | #4631 |
| 2004 | 21 | #4129 |
| 2003 | 22 | #3838 |
| 2002 | 13 | #5395 |
| 2001 | 30 | #2988 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Merle a popular boy name?
Merle ranked #3450 among boys in 2025 with 33 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4545.
When was the name Merle most popular?
Merle peaked in 1925, when 836 American boys received the name (ranked #175 that year). Since 1925 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Merle?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 54,545 newborn American boys was named Merle. It scores 77/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.