Merina
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly Greek, meaning "wise protector".
Name Census estimates that about 328 living Americans carry the first name Merina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Merina today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merina births was 1998 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merina. 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
328
~ 1 in 1,044,983 Americans
Peak year
1998
19 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,627
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Merina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Merina from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 146 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Merina 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 Merina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Merinas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Merina
The given name Merina has its origins in the Malagasy language, spoken by the ethnic Malagasy people of Madagascar. It is believed to have derived from the ancient Malagasy word "marina," meaning "faithful" or "true." This name was commonly used among the Merina people, the largest ethnic group in Madagascar, who were historically centered in the central highlands around the capital city of Antananarivo.
In the 16th century, when the first European explorers arrived on the island, they encountered the Merina kingdom, which was one of the most powerful and influential kingdoms on Madagascar at that time. Historical records from that period mention several Merina rulers and nobles bearing this name, indicating its widespread use among the Merina aristocracy.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Merina is found in the 17th century, when a Merina princess named Merina Andriantsimitoviaminandriana was born in 1638. She was the daughter of King Andrianjaka and played a significant role in the political affairs of the kingdom during her lifetime.
In the 18th century, another notable figure named Merina Andrianampoinimerina (1745-1810) emerged as the first king to unite the Merina people under a single rule. He is revered as a legendary figure in Malagasy history and is credited with laying the foundations for the modern Malagasy state.
During the 19th century, the name Merina gained even more prominence when Queen Ranavalona I (1788-1861), one of the most influential and controversial rulers of Madagascar, ascended to the throne. Although her given name was Rabodoandrianampoinimerina, she was widely known as Ranavalona, which means "the respected one" in the Malagasy language.
Another famous figure with the name Merina was Merina Rasoamaramihaja (1884-1964), a Malagasy writer and educator who played a significant role in preserving and promoting the Malagasy language and culture. She was also one of the first Malagasy women to receive a formal education and was a pioneer in the field of women's rights.
Throughout its history, the name Merina has been closely associated with the cultural and political identity of the Merina people, and it continues to be a popular name among the Malagasy population today, serving as a reminder of their rich heritage and traditions.
People
Merina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merina 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
Merina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 328 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merina 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 1,044,983 US residents.
Is Merina a common name?
We classify Merina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 338 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merina most popular?
The single biggest year for Merina was 1998, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merina is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Merina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Merina 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.