Merilee
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from French and meaning "bright meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 818 living Americans carry the first name Merilee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Merilee today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merilee births was 1961 (54 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merilee. 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
818
~ 1 in 419,015 Americans
Peak year
1961
54 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
2014 SSA rank
#18,345
Tracked since 1929
Popularity
Merilee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Merilee from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 340 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Merilee 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 Merilee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Merilees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, New York, Utah recorded the most babies named Merilee, while Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Merilee
The name Merilee is a combination of two distinct names – Mary and Lee. The name Mary has its roots in the Hebrew name Miryam, which means "bitter" or "beloved". It is a name that has been popular for centuries, particularly in Christian cultures, due to its association with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The second part of the name, Lee, is an English surname that has its origins in the Old English word "leah", meaning a meadow or a clearing in the woods. It was often used as a place name, and over time, it became a common surname.
The earliest recorded use of the name Merilee dates back to the late 19th century, when it began to appear in various records, particularly in the United States and Canada. It is believed that the name was created as a combination of the two popular names, Mary and Lee, to create a unique and distinctly feminine name.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Merilee was Merilee Rush, an American actress born in 1925. She had a successful career in films and television, appearing in shows such as "The Munsters" and "Bewitched" during the 1960s.
Another notable figure with the name Merilee was Merilee Kern, an American author and entrepreneur born in 1958. She has written several books on business and personal development, and is known for her work as a marketing and branding consultant.
In the literary world, Merilee Moss is a Canadian author and illustrator born in 1952. She has written and illustrated numerous children's books, including the popular "Pie Rats" series.
Merilee Taji, born in 1965, is an Australian singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in the 1980s with her debut album "Mistress of the Old World" and has since released several other albums and toured extensively.
Finally, Merilee Kern-Meyers, born in 1964, is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She co-founded the Kern Family Foundation, which supports various charitable initiatives in the fields of education, healthcare, and the arts.
While the name Merilee may not have a long and storied history like some other names, its unique blend of two popular names and its association with successful individuals in various fields have contributed to its enduring appeal.
People
Merilee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merilee 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
Merilee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merilee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 818 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merilee 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 419,015 US residents.
Is Merilee a common name?
We classify Merilee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,150 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merilee most popular?
The single biggest year for Merilee was 1961, when 54 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merilee is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Merilee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Merilee 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.