Merritt

Merritt - A very unique female name

Merritt appeared on the charts for the first time in 1967 on position #2604. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Merritt and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Merritt? 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 Merritt. The baby girl name Merritt was given to 368 baby girls in 2025, ranking #688 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 3,542 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Merritt peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 688.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Merritt, 1-5?

Merritt is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Merritt is currently topping the baby name charts in Nebraska at position #83 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,416.

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 Merritt is where you live.

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Merritt origin and meaning

English surname and place name

Uncertain — a transferred surname from English place names; the places' own elements are usually read as 'boundary gate', but the derivation is not fully settled

Merritt is a surname that has only recently taken off for girls: scattered in the data since 1967, it jumped from #1425 in 2020 to a peak in 2025. Its sound-alike link to the word merit gives it a quiet virtue feel.

Origin uncertain

Merritt is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Merritt

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

Martha / Meredith / Marta / Marietta / Marita / Marty / Marti / Myrtie / Meridith / Mairead /

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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 Merritt

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 Merritt 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 female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Merritt?

2 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

MAIR-it · /ˈmɛrɪt/

Around the world

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

Spellings and nicknames

• Merit — The word-name spelling; a separate name in its own right

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

Merritt appeals as a crisp, tailored surname name for a girl — uncommon, confident, and with a hint of earned worth in its sound.

Worth knowing

• People hear the word 'merit' and may spell it that way