Mert
A Turkish masculine name derived from the Arabic word "murt" meaning "beloved".
Name Census estimates that about 495 living Americans carry the first name Mert. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mert today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mert births was 2018 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mert. 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
495
~ 1 in 692,433 Americans
Peak year
2018
32 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,339
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Mert: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mert from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 217 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Mert remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mert 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 Mert during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Merts live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, California recorded the most babies named Mert, while Texas, California, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mert
The name Mert originates from the Turkish language and culture. It is a diminutive form of the name Mehmet, which is derived from the Arabic name Muhammad, meaning "praised" or "admirable." The earliest recorded use of the name Mert dates back to the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century.
Mert has been a popular name among Turkish families for centuries. It is believed to have gained widespread use during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, also known as Mehmed the Conqueror, who ruled from 1444 to 1481 and conquered Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453.
In Turkish mythology, Mert is associated with virtues such as bravery, courage, and honor. The name is often given to boys with the hope that they will grow up to embody these qualities. Additionally, some scholars suggest that the name may be related to the ancient Persian word "mard," meaning "man" or "warrior."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Mert can be found in the Ottoman court registers from the 16th century. During this time, several individuals with the name Mert held prominent positions within the Ottoman Empire.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Mert. One of the earliest was Mert Şah, a 14th-century Turkmen ruler who established the Artuqid dynasty in present-day Turkey and Syria. Another famous bearer of the name was Mert Çağlar (1905-1986), a Turkish diplomat and ambassador who served in several countries, including the United States.
In the arts and literature, Mert Efendi (1821-1898) was a renowned Ottoman calligrapher and poet, known for his mastery of the Diwani script. Mert Raşit (1873-1931) was a Turkish novelist and playwright who contributed significantly to the development of modern Turkish literature.
In the field of sports, Mert Günok (born 1987) is a Turkish professional basketball player who has represented the Turkish national team and played in several European leagues. Mert Müldür (born 1998) is a young Turkish footballer who currently plays as a defender for the Italian club Sassuolo.
People
Mert + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mert 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
Mert: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mert?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 495 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mert 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 692,433 US residents.
Is Mert a common name?
We classify Mert as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 529 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mert most popular?
The single biggest year for Mert was 2018, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mert is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mert a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mert 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.
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.