Merci
A French feminine name meaning "thanksgiving" or "gratitude".
Name Census estimates that about 979 living Americans carry the first name Merci. It is a predominantly female name (94.7% of registrations). The average person named Merci today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merci births was 2019 (74 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merci. 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
979
~ 1 in 350,107 Americans
Peak year
2019
74 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,426
Tracked since 1963
Gender
Gender distribution for Merci
Merci leans heavily female at 94.7% of total registrations, but 53 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Merci as a male name
- Ranked #7,086 in 2024
- 12 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (12 births)
Merci as a female name
- Ranked #4,426 in 2024
- 32 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (69 births)
Popularity
Merci: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Merci from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 376 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Merci remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Merci 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 Merci during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mercis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Texas, Georgia, California recorded the most babies named Merci, while North Carolina, Michigan, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 22 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Merci
Merci is a French given name that originates from the French word "merci," which means "thank you." The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages in France, but its precise origin and earliest use as a personal name are unclear.
The name Merci is derived from the Latin word "merces," meaning "reward" or "payment." Over time, this evolved into the Old French word "merci," which initially meant "reward" or "favor," before eventually taking on the meaning of "thanks" or "gratitude."
While Merci is not a name found in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it may have been used as a nickname or informal name in medieval France, potentially given to children as a way of expressing gratitude for their birth or as a wish for them to be thankful and appreciative.
One of the earliest recorded instances of Merci as a given name dates back to the 16th century. Merci Arnault, a French noblewoman, was born around 1530 in the region of Picardy, France. Little is known about her life, but her name serves as an early example of the use of Merci as a personal name.
Another notable individual with the name Merci was Merci Arnauld (1612-1694), a French Catholic theologian and philosopher. He was a prominent figure in the Jansenist movement and wrote extensively on theological and philosophical topics.
In the 18th century, Merci Daubenton (1716-1799) was a French naturalist and botanist who contributed significantly to the study of plant life and the classification of species.
In more recent history, Merci Matuba (1915-2002) was a Congolese writer and poet who played a significant role in the literary and cultural movements of her country.
Merci Kanda (born 1951) is a Japanese actress and singer who has appeared in numerous films and television shows since the 1970s. She is known for her versatile performances and has received several accolades for her work.
While the name Merci is predominantly French in origin, it has been used across various cultures and regions, likely due to the universality of the concept of gratitude and thankfulness. However, it remains a relatively uncommon given name, particularly in recent times.
People
Merci + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merci 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
Merci: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merci?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 979 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merci 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 350,107 US residents.
Is Merci a common name?
We classify Merci as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,000 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merci most popular?
The single biggest year for Merci was 2019, when 74 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merci is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Merci a female name?
Yes, 94.7% of people registered as Merci 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.