Is Merle a boy or girl name?
Merle is a boy name in the US. In 2024, 0 girls and 22 boys were named Merle, so 0% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 32.5% of the 45,348 US babies named Merle were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #4,640
- Girl rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Babies named Merle since 1880
- 45,348
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 1,275 babies
Boys and girls named Merle, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 207 | 163 | 44.1% |
| 1890s | 378 | 717 | 65.5% |
| 1900s | 651 | 1,066 | 62.1% |
| 1910s | 4,645 | 2,820 | 37.8% |
| 1920s | 7,970 | 3,603 | 31.1% |
| 1930s | 5,800 | 2,497 | 30.1% |
| 1940s | 4,187 | 2,154 | 34% |
| 1950s | 3,030 | 1,151 | 27.5% |
| 1960s | 1,503 | 363 | 19.5% |
| 1970s | 929 | 94 | 9.2% |
| 1980s | 502 | 57 | 10.2% |
| 1990s | 292 | 23 | 7.3% |
| 2000s | 214 | 10 | 4.5% |
| 2010s | 180 | 0 | 0% |
| 2020s | 142 | 0 | 0% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 22 | #4,640 | 0 | – |
| 2023 | 39 | #3,157 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 27 | #4,055 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 22 | #4,586 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 32 | #3,465 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 22 | #4,589 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 23 | #4,441 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 20 | #4,872 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 14 | #6,233 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 21 | #4,650 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 15 | #5,901 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 16 | #5,556 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 9 | #8,637 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 18 | #5,122 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 22 | #4,466 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 22 | #4,534 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 19 | #5,005 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 17 | #5,350 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 26 | #3,860 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 18 | #4,763 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 21 | #4,210 | 5 | #17,896 |
| 2003 | 22 | #3,922 | 5 | #17,469 |
| 2002 | 13 | #5,619 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 30 | #3,038 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 26 | #3,267 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 23 | #3,451 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 20 | #3,664 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 28 | #2,797 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 28 | #2,723 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 35 | #2,279 | 6 | #12,791 |
| 1994 | 26 | #2,822 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 34 | #2,275 | 6 | #12,873 |
| 1992 | 33 | #2,284 | 6 | #12,795 |
| 1991 | 32 | #2,273 | 5 | #14,585 |
| 1990 | 33 | #2,197 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 28 | #2,394 | 13 | #6,409 |
| 1988 | 48 | #1,543 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 43 | #1,627 | 6 | #10,751 |
| 1986 | 35 | #1,778 | 6 | #10,401 |
| 1985 | 49 | #1,406 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 51 | #1,310 | 6 | #9,910 |
| 1983 | 65 | #1,115 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 57 | #1,239 | 8 | #7,941 |
| 1981 | 67 | #1,120 | 13 | #5,473 |
| 1980 | 59 | #1,196 | 5 | #11,498 |
| 1979 | 80 | #1,000 | 7 | #8,642 |
| 1978 | 60 | #1,143 | 11 | #5,828 |
| 1977 | 80 | #960 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 65 | #1,034 | 5 | #10,284 |
| 1975 | 73 | #963 | 8 | #6,899 |
| 1974 | 79 | #918 | 9 | #6,065 |
| 1973 | 93 | #828 | 13 | #4,507 |
| 1972 | 111 | #756 | 13 | #4,449 |
| 1971 | 157 | #657 | 10 | #5,370 |
| 1970 | 131 | #720 | 18 | #3,526 |
| 1969 | 111 | #745 | 17 | #3,411 |
| 1968 | 136 | #649 | 21 | #2,840 |
| 1967 | 91 | #765 | 19 | #2,935 |
| 1966 | 121 | #676 | 24 | #2,500 |
| 1965 | 159 | #608 | 24 | #2,514 |
| 1964 | 166 | #609 | 38 | #1,936 |
| 1963 | 187 | #582 | 46 | #1,705 |
| 1962 | 180 | #582 | 53 | #1,551 |
| 1961 | 176 | #597 | 59 | #1,459 |
| 1960 | 176 | #590 | 62 | #1,399 |
| 1959 | 227 | #523 | 75 | #1,239 |
| 1958 | 232 | #506 | 95 | #1,078 |
| 1957 | 255 | #489 | 88 | #1,122 |
| 1956 | 292 | #441 | 107 | #986 |
| 1955 | 289 | #431 | 115 | #919 |
| 1954 | 307 | #410 | 137 | #804 |
| 1953 | 325 | #388 | 123 | #836 |
| 1952 | 340 | #367 | 134 | #772 |
| 1951 | 368 | #360 | 136 | #755 |
| 1950 | 395 | #339 | 141 | #721 |
| 1949 | 354 | #357 | 153 | #678 |
| 1948 | 432 | #322 | 179 | #618 |
| 1947 | 392 | #345 | 203 | #602 |
| 1946 | 406 | #319 | 206 | #549 |
| 1945 | 373 | #307 | 205 | #512 |
| 1944 | 391 | #305 | 239 | #466 |
| 1943 | 448 | #290 | 232 | #486 |
| 1942 | 442 | #288 | 275 | #441 |
| 1941 | 482 | #254 | 225 | #464 |
| 1940 | 467 | #254 | 237 | #443 |
| 1939 | 529 | #225 | 275 | #406 |
| 1938 | 525 | #228 | 264 | #415 |
| 1937 | 519 | #229 | 302 | #370 |
| 1936 | 568 | #209 | 341 | #338 |
| 1935 | 521 | #226 | 270 | #390 |
| 1934 | 599 | #207 | 212 | #449 |
| 1933 | 573 | #204 | 183 | #476 |
| 1932 | 593 | #211 | 200 | #461 |
| 1931 | 662 | #198 | 213 | #442 |
| 1930 | 711 | #196 | 237 | #437 |
| 1929 | 731 | #188 | 224 | #440 |
| 1928 | 764 | #186 | 293 | #390 |
| 1927 | 808 | #179 | 311 | #386 |
| 1926 | 787 | #180 | 340 | #365 |
| 1925 | 836 | #175 | 404 | #333 |
| 1924 | 782 | #184 | 383 | #346 |
| 1923 | 775 | #180 | 409 | #321 |
| 1922 | 835 | #172 | 394 | #330 |
| 1921 | 833 | #173 | 442 | #311 |
| 1920 | 819 | #171 | 403 | #324 |
| 1919 | 721 | #182 | 370 | #331 |
| 1918 | 795 | #170 | 375 | #332 |
| 1917 | 701 | #178 | 360 | #328 |
| 1916 | 604 | #191 | 373 | #313 |
| 1915 | 595 | #186 | 353 | #315 |
| 1914 | 415 | #201 | 247 | #336 |
| 1913 | 331 | #202 | 232 | #313 |
| 1912 | 268 | #207 | 221 | #307 |
| 1911 | 115 | #236 | 151 | #322 |
| 1910 | 100 | #235 | 138 | #334 |
| 1909 | 76 | #256 | 120 | #332 |
| 1908 | 76 | #244 | 120 | #323 |
| 1907 | 82 | #226 | 112 | #330 |
| 1906 | 72 | #230 | 84 | #372 |
| 1905 | 59 | #256 | 110 | #322 |
| 1904 | 53 | #263 | 92 | #341 |
| 1903 | 69 | #216 | 112 | #295 |
| 1902 | 58 | #245 | 112 | #299 |
| 1901 | 52 | #239 | 91 | #316 |
| 1900 | 54 | #283 | 113 | #315 |
| 1899 | 42 | #264 | 88 | #320 |
| 1898 | 49 | #254 | 77 | #357 |
| 1897 | 34 | #318 | 70 | #351 |
| 1896 | 44 | #277 | 86 | #314 |
| 1895 | 46 | #265 | 91 | #303 |
| 1894 | 38 | #286 | 70 | #333 |
| 1893 | 27 | #344 | 61 | #346 |
| 1892 | 38 | #302 | 60 | #341 |
| 1891 | 34 | #281 | 46 | #371 |
| 1890 | 26 | #346 | 68 | #307 |
| 1889 | 35 | #287 | 42 | #376 |
| 1888 | 15 | #518 | 25 | #509 |
| 1887 | 24 | #338 | 12 | #681 |
| 1886 | 22 | #376 | 14 | #627 |
| 1885 | 26 | #337 | 16 | #551 |
| 1884 | 19 | #424 | 16 | #534 |
| 1883 | 23 | #349 | 15 | #508 |
| 1882 | 13 | #530 | 11 | #589 |
| 1881 | 13 | #498 | 6 | #795 |
| 1880 | 17 | #437 | 6 | #810 |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Merle reached #170 in 1918. As a girl name, it reached #295 in 1903. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1920s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Merle
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.