Jermil
An English masculine name derived from a blend of Jeremiah and Michael.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Jermil. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jermil today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jermil births was 1981 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jermil. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jermil. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1981
6 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1984 SSA rank
#5,928
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Jermil: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jermil by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jermil during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jermil
The name Jermil has its roots in the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) between the 4th and 3rd millennia BC. The name is derived from the Sumerian words "ger" and "mil," which together meant "warrior of the moon."
In Sumerian mythology, the moon was associated with various deities, including Nanna, the god of the moon, and his children, Inanna and Utu, who were the goddesses of love and the sun, respectively. The name Jermil was likely given to male children as a symbol of strength, courage, and a connection to the celestial bodies.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Jermil dates back to around 2500 BC, when it was found inscribed on a clay tablet from the city of Ur. This tablet was part of an administrative record, suggesting that the name was in use among the Sumerian population at that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Jermil. One of the earliest was Jermil of Kish, a Sumerian king who ruled the city-state of Kish in the 26th century BC. His reign is recorded in the Sumerian King List, an ancient document that chronicles the rulers of various Sumerian cities.
Another prominent figure was Jermil the Scribe, who lived during the Akkadian period (c. 2350–2150 BC). He was a renowned scholar and writer, responsible for preserving many Sumerian literary works and religious texts.
In the 9th century AD, there was Jermil al-Kindi, an Arab philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who lived in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age. He made significant contributions to the fields of optics, music theory, and cryptography.
During the Renaissance period, Jermil Boccaccio (1313–1375) was an Italian writer and humanist, best known for his iconic work, "The Decameron," a collection of novellas that provided a vivid portrayal of 14th-century Italian society.
More recently, Jermil Chiba (1921–2008) was a Japanese artist and calligrapher renowned for his innovative techniques and his ability to blend traditional Japanese art with modern sensibilities.
While the name Jermil has its origins in ancient Sumerian culture, it has managed to transcend time and geographic boundaries, appearing in various contexts throughout history, showcasing its enduring appeal and cultural significance.
People
Jermil + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jermil as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jermil: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jermil?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jermil going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Jermil a common name?
We classify Jermil as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jermil most popular?
The single biggest year for Jermil was 1981, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jermil is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jermil in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jermil a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jermil in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jermil still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jermil in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jermil can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Jermil?
Want to know how many people have the name Jermil? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.