Lamerle
A feminine name of French origin, possibly derived from the name Marie.
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Lamerle. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lamerle today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lamerle births was 1918 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lamerle. 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
- • The typical person named Lamerle is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Lamerles were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lamerle. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1918
11 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1956 SSA rank
#6,438
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Lamerle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lamerle from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 33 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lamerle 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 Lamerle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lamerles live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lamerle
The given name Lamerle finds its origins in the medieval French language, emerging during the late 13th century. Derived from the Old French term "l'amoureux," which translates to "the lover," it was a moniker initially bestowed upon those known for their affectionate and romantic dispositions. The earliest recorded instances of Lamerle can be traced to the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France, where it gained popularity among the nobility and upper classes.
While its exact origins remain obscure, some scholars speculate that the name may have roots in the Occitan language, which was prevalent in southern France during the High Middle Ages. Variations in spelling, such as "Lamorle" and "Lamourle," were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects of the time.
Lamerle gained historical prominence in the 14th century when it appeared in the literary works of prominent French authors and poets. One notable mention can be found in the allegorical poem "Le Roman de la Rose," written by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun, where the character Lamerle is portrayed as a chivalrous and devoted lover.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Lamerle. One of the earliest recorded was Lamerle de Châteauneuf (c. 1290-1362), a French knight and military commander who served under King Philip VI during the Hundred Years' War. Another prominent figure was Lamerle de Montfort (1325-1390), a renowned troubadour and lyricist whose compositions were widely celebrated in the courts of southern France.
In the 16th century, Lamerle de Villiers (1505-1572) gained recognition as a skilled architect and engineer, contributing to the design and construction of several notable landmarks in Paris, including the Pont Neuf bridge. A century later, Lamerle Duval (1645-1715) made a name for himself as a respected jurist and legal scholar, serving as a judge in the Parlement of Paris.
Lastly, Lamerle Mercier (1772-1842), a French revolutionary and politician, played a pivotal role in the events of the French Revolution, serving as a deputy in the National Convention and later becoming a member of the Council of Five Hundred during the Directory period.
While the name Lamerle has faded in modern times, its historical significance and romantic connotations remain an intriguing aspect of French onomastic heritage, serving as a testament to the rich cultural tapestry woven throughout the centuries.
People
Lamerle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lamerle as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lamerle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lamerle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lamerle 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Lamerle a common name?
We classify Lamerle as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 92 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lamerle most popular?
The single biggest year for Lamerle was 1918, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lamerle is about 80 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 Lamerle in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lamerle a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lamerle in the SSA data are female. 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 Lamerle still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lamerle 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 Lamerle 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 called Lamerle?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.