Merary
A Hebrew name meaning "exalted one" or "beloved".
Name Census estimates that about 514 living Americans carry the first name Merary. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Merary today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merary births was 2008 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merary. 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.
People living today
514
~ 1 in 666,837 Americans
Peak year
2008
34 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,974
Tracked since 1987
Popularity
Merary: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Merary from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 221 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Merary 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 Merary during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Merarys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Merary
The name Merary is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical name Miriam. It is believed to have its roots in the ancient Egyptian name "Meryre," which means "beloved" or "she who loves." The name Miriam is mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible as the sister of Moses and Aaron.
In the Book of Exodus, Miriam is described as a prophetess who led the Israelite women in song and dance after the crossing of the Red Sea. The name Merary is a variant spelling that emerged later, likely influenced by the Spanish language and culture during the spread of Christianity in the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Merary can be found in the chronicles of the Kingdom of Navarre in the 12th century. A noblewoman named Merary de Baux was a prominent figure in the court of King Sancho VI of Navarre (1150-1194).
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Merary. In the 16th century, Merary de Cabrera was a Spanish playwright and poet known for her works that explored themes of love and spirituality. She lived from approximately 1550 to 1610.
In the 18th century, Merary Sánchez was a renowned painter from the Spanish colonial era in Mexico. Her portraits and religious works adorned many churches and aristocratic homes in the region. She lived from 1720 to 1795.
In the 19th century, Merary González was a Cuban activist and writer who campaigned for women's rights and the abolition of slavery. She lived from 1835 to 1890 and published several influential essays and pamphlets.
More recently, Merary Villafranca was a Mexican actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout the mid-20th century. She was born in 1920 and passed away in 2007.
While the name Merary has Hebrew roots, it has been embraced and adapted across various cultures and time periods, reflecting its rich historical significance and enduring appeal.
People
Merary + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merary as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Merary: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merary?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 514 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merary 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 666,837 US residents.
Is Merary a common name?
We classify Merary as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 522 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merary most popular?
The single biggest year for Merary was 2008, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merary is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Merary a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Merary 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.
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.