Merrek
A masculine name of English origin meaning "peaceful ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Merrek. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Merrek today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merrek births was 2008 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merrek. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Merrek. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2008
5 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2008 SSA rank
#13,912
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Merrek: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Merrek 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 Merrek during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Merrek
The name Merrek is a rare and unique moniker with an intriguing history that can be traced back to the ancient Germanic tribes. Its origins lie in the Proto-Germanic word "meri," which means "famous" or "renowned." This root eventually evolved into the Old Norse name "Mærækr," which later morphed into the modern spelling "Merrek."
During the Viking Age, between the 8th and 11th centuries, the name Merrek was likely borne by some Norse warriors and seafarers who ventured across the seas to various parts of Europe. However, historical records from this period are scarce, and specific mentions of individuals with this name are hard to come by.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Merrek can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of literary works that recount the lives and adventures of Norse settlers in Iceland during the Middle Ages. In the Saga of Grettir the Strong, a character named Merrek is mentioned as a farmer living in the northern regions of the island.
As the centuries passed, the name Merrek gradually fell out of widespread use, becoming an obscure and uncommon name in most parts of the world. However, a few notable individuals have carried this unique moniker throughout history.
In the 16th century, Merrek Aldrichson was a renowned English navigator and explorer who was part of Sir Francis Drake's expeditions to the West Indies and the Spanish Main. He played a crucial role in the successful raid on the Spanish settlement of Nombre de Dios in 1572.
During the 18th century, Merrek Vossius was a Dutch philologist and classical scholar known for his work on Greek and Latin texts. He was born in 1692 and passed away in 1761, leaving behind a legacy of valuable contributions to the field of classical studies.
In more recent times, Merrek Bouteloup was a French botanist and horticulturist who lived from 1776 to 1859. He is credited with introducing numerous plant species to Europe and played a significant role in the development of modern horticulture.
Another notable figure was Merrek Kingsmill, an Australian painter and artist who lived from 1935 to 2008. His works, which often depicted landscapes and cityscapes, are highly regarded and can be found in various art galleries and collections across Australia.
Finally, Merrek Johannessen was a Norwegian explorer and mountaineer who was part of the first successful expedition to reach the summit of K2, the second-highest mountain in the world, in 1954. He was born in 1920 and passed away in 1994, leaving behind a legacy of daring adventures and remarkable achievements in the field of mountaineering.
People
Merrek + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merrek 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
Merrek: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merrek?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merrek 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Merrek a common name?
We classify Merrek as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merrek most popular?
The single biggest year for Merrek was 2008, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merrek is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Merrek in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Merrek a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Merrek in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Merrek still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Merrek in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Merrek can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Merrek?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.