Merida
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "of merit".
Name Census estimates that about 1,363 living Americans carry the first name Merida. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Merida today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merida births was 2017 (116 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merida. 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
- • Merida is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 17 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.4K
~ 1 in 251,471 Americans
Peak year
2017
116 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
1880 SSA rank
#1,013
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Merida
Out of the 1,506 babies given the name Merida since 1880, 99.7% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Merida as a male name
- Ranked #1,013 in 1880
- 5 male births in 1880
- Peak: 1880 (5 births)
Merida as a female name
- Ranked #2,471 in 2024
- 73 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2017 (116 births)
Popularity
Merida: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Merida from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 719 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Merida remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Merida 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 Merida during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Meridas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Merida, while Virginia, Utah, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 30 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Merida
The name Merida is of Spanish origin, derived from the ancient Roman city of Emerita Augusta, now known as Mérida, Spain. The city was founded in 25 BC by Emperor Augustus as a settlement for retired Roman soldiers. The name Emerita comes from the Latin word "emeritus," meaning "veteran."
In its earliest form, the name was spelled "Emerida" or "Emerita," referring to the city's origins as a settlement for retired Roman soldiers. Over time, the spelling evolved to the modern-day "Merida" in Spanish. The name gained popularity in Spain and later spread to other Spanish-speaking regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Merida appears in a 12th-century Spanish manuscript, where it is mentioned as the name of a noblewoman from the region of Extremadura, near the city of Mérida. This early historical reference suggests that the name was in use during the medieval period in Spain.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Merida, including:
1. Merida de Navarra (c. 1138-1187), Queen of Navarre during the 12th century, known for her involvement in the civil war between her husband and son over the succession of the Navarrese throne.
2. Merida de la Cruz (1789-1854), a Venezuelan revolutionary and soldier who fought alongside Simón Bolívar during the Venezuelan War of Independence.
3. Merida Grubb (1827-1909), an American educator and activist who played a crucial role in establishing the first kindergarten in the United States, based on the principles of Friedrich Froebel.
4. Merida Quesada (1897-1979), a Cuban writer and journalist known for her contributions to the literary magazine "Revista de Avance" and her efforts in promoting the work of female writers in Cuba.
5. Merida Mateo (1935-2021), a Spanish actress renowned for her performances in numerous Spanish films and TV series, including her memorable role in the film "Viridiana" directed by Luis Buñuel.
The name Merida has maintained its presence and popularity throughout the centuries, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries, where it continues to be a beloved and culturally significant name.
People
Merida + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merida 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
Merida: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merida?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,363 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merida 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 251,471 US residents.
Is Merida a common name?
We classify Merida as "Rare". It ranks above 91.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,506 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merida most popular?
The single biggest year for Merida was 2017, when 116 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merida is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Merida a female name?
Yes, 99.7% of people registered as Merida 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.