Merta
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "small stream" or "lake".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Merta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Merta today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merta births was 1883 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merta. 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 Merta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1883
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1916 SSA rank
#4,919
Tracked since 1883
Popularity
Merta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Merta from the 1880s through to the 1910s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1880s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1880s peak, Merta remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Merta 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 Merta 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 Merta
The given name Merta has its origins in the Sanskrit language of ancient India, dating back to the Vedic period between 1500 and 500 BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "mrid," which means "earth" or "soil," suggesting a connection to the natural world and fertility.
In Hindu mythology, Merta is associated with the earth goddess Prithvi, who represents the fertile soil and sustains all life on the planet. This name was likely given to children as a way of honoring the goddess and seeking her blessings for a prosperous and abundant life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Merta can be found in the ancient Hindu text, the Mahabharata, where it is mentioned as the name of a warrior who fought alongside the Pandava princes during the epic battle of Kurukshetra.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Merta. One such person was Merta Devi (1506-1586), a Rajput queen of the Mewar kingdom in present-day Rajasthan, India. She was renowned for her bravery and her role in defending the Chittorgarh Fort against the Mughal emperor Akbar's forces.
Another prominent figure was Merta Tilak (1856-1935), an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer from Gujarat. He played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement and worked towards uplifting the underprivileged sections of society.
In the field of art, Merta Kartarpur (1908-1992) was a renowned Indian sculptor and painter from Punjab. Her works were heavily inspired by the rich cultural heritage of Punjab and depicted scenes from rural life and folklore.
Merta Handiya (1933-2013) was a celebrated Indian classical dancer and choreographer from Odisha. She was instrumental in promoting and preserving the rich traditions of Odissi dance, one of the eight classical dance forms of India.
Lastly, Merta Thapar (born 1942) is a prominent Indian historian and author known for her extensive research and writings on ancient Indian history, particularly the Maurya Empire and the role of women in ancient India.
People
Merta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merta 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
Merta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merta 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 - US residents.
Is Merta a common name?
We classify Merta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merta most popular?
The single biggest year for Merta was 1883, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merta is about 0 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 Merta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Merta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Merta 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.
Is Merta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Merta 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 Merta 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 Merta as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Merta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.