Merrilee
A compound feminine name of Germanic origin meaning "song of joy".
Name Census estimates that about 1,234 living Americans carry the first name Merrilee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Merrilee today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merrilee births was 1942 (78 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merrilee. 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 Merrilee is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Merrilees were born before 1970.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 277,759 Americans
Peak year
1942
78 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
2023 SSA rank
#16,792
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Merrilee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Merrilee from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 578 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
Merrilee 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 Merrilee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Merrilees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. California, Washington, Illinois recorded the most babies named Merrilee, while Florida, Iowa, Wisconsin recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 46 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Merrilee
The name Merrilee is derived from the English language, originating in the 16th century. It is a combination of the words "merry" and "lee," with "merry" meaning joyful or cheerful, and "lee" referring to a sheltered or protected area. The name was likely intended to convey a sense of happiness and security.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Merrilee dates back to the late 16th century, when it appeared in the writings of English poet and playwright William Shakespeare. In his play "The Merry Wives of Windsor," a character named Mistress Merrilee is mentioned, though it is unclear whether this was intended as a given name or a descriptor.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Merrilee remained relatively rare, with few recorded instances of its use. However, it experienced a resurgence in popularity during the 19th century, particularly in England and the United States.
One notable historical figure named Merrilee was Merrilee Moss (1886-1968), an American actress and singer who appeared on Broadway and in early Hollywood films. Another was Merrilee Rush (1944-1962), an American singer and songwriter best known for her hit song "Angel of the Morning."
In the 20th century, the name Merrilee continued to be used, with several notable individuals bearing the name. These include Merrilee Roberts (1920-2011), an American actress and model, and Merrilee Proffitt (born 1943), an American singer and songwriter.
Additionally, the name Merrilee has been used in various works of literature and popular culture throughout history. In the 1964 novel "The Carpetbaggers" by Harold Robbins, a character named Merrilee is prominently featured. The name has also been used for fictional characters in television shows and movies.
While the name Merrilee has never been extremely common, it has maintained a consistent presence throughout the centuries, with its origins rooted in the English language and a meaning associated with joy and protection.
People
Merrilee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merrilee 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
Merrilee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merrilee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,234 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merrilee 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 277,759 US residents.
Is Merrilee a common name?
We classify Merrilee as "Rare". It ranks above 91.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,866 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merrilee most popular?
The single biggest year for Merrilee was 1942, when 78 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merrilee is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Merrilee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Merrilee 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.