Merle

Merle - A very unique male name

Merle appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #226. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Merle and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Merle? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Merle. The baby boy name Merle was given to 5 baby boys in 2020, ranking #3979 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 297,179 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Merle peaked in popularity 108 years ago in 1918 on position 171.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Merle, 1-5?

Merle is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Merle is currently topping the baby name charts in Pennsylvania at position #1,317 - and is the least popular in Pennsylvania at position #1,317.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Merle is where you live.

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Merle origin and meaning

English / French — transferred use

Uncertain — associated with French merle 'blackbird' and used as a short form of Merlin and Merrell; no single source is settled

Merle's sources are tangled — a French word for blackbird, a surname, and Merlin shortenings all contributed to American use — and that mixture is why its etymology stays uncertain. It first appears in the data in 1910, peaked in 1925 with 811 births, and totals 25,287 lifetime births. It was ranked #3979 in 2020 and has no row in the 2025 data.

Origin uncertain

Merle is a 5 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Merle, pop culture references for the name Merle and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Merle

We've found the following names that sound similar to Merle, sorted by popularity.

Merrill / Marley / Marlo / Merl / Murl / Maurilio / Marlow / Marlowe / Murrell / Mearl /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Merle

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Merle a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Merle?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

MURL · /mɝl/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Merlin — Related longer name
• Merrell — Surname form behind some uses

Famous bearers

• Merle Haggard — American country singer and songwriter (1937–2016) Contemporary

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

A country-music-era name with a plainspoken feel; today it survives almost entirely as a family name.

Worth knowing

• Now more often met as a girls' name in older generations, which can cause gender mix-ups.