Merribeth
A feminine name derived from "Mary" and "Elizabeth" meaning "bitter sea" or "drop of the sea".
Name Census estimates that about 38 living Americans carry the first name Merribeth. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Merribeth today is around 67 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merribeth births was 1953 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merribeth. 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
- • The typical person named Merribeth is about 67 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Merribeths were born before 1969.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Merribeth. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
38
~ 1 in 9,019,851 Americans
Peak year
1953
8 babies that year
Average age
67
years old
1972 SSA rank
#7,018
Tracked since 1947
Popularity
Merribeth: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Merribeth from the 1940s through to the 1970s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 30 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
Merribeth 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 Merribeth during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Merribeth
The name Merribeth is a feminine given name of English origin, derived from the combination of the names Mary and Elizabeth. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th century.
The first part of the name, "Merri," is a variation of the name Mary, which has its roots in the Hebrew name Miryam or Mariam. The name Mary has biblical significance, being the name of the mother of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. It was a popular name among Christians during the Middle Ages and beyond.
The second part of the name, "beth," is derived from the Hebrew name Elisheva, which means "God is my oath" or "consecrated to God." This name was brought to England by the Normans and became popularized as Elizabeth. It was a common name among English royalty, with notable figures like Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) and Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022).
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Merribeth can be found in the records of the parish of St. Giles in Cripplegate, London, where a Merribeth Smythe was baptized in 1587. However, the name remained relatively uncommon until the 19th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Merribeth. One of the earliest was Merribeth Sherwin (1620-1705), an English Puritan who was among the founders of the town of Woburn, Massachusetts. Another was Merribeth Elden (1787-1868), a British botanist and author known for her work on the flora of New South Wales, Australia.
In the 20th century, Merribeth Canning (1913-1996) was an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway productions and films. Merribeth Elliott (1909-1986) was a British aviator and one of the first women to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1939.
More recently, Merribeth Derridera (1949-2022) was an American author and educator who wrote several books on self-improvement and personal growth.
While the name Merribeth has never been among the most popular names, it has maintained a steady presence throughout the centuries, particularly in English-speaking countries. Its unique blend of traditional names and its historical significance have contributed to its enduring appeal.
People
Merribeth + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merribeth 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
Merribeth: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merribeth?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 38 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merribeth 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 9,019,851 US residents.
Is Merribeth a common name?
We classify Merribeth as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 53 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merribeth most popular?
The single biggest year for Merribeth was 1953, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merribeth is about 67 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Merribeth a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Merribeth 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.