Meru
A feminine Japanese name derived from the Sanskrit word for a celestial mountain.
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Meru. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 66.7% of registrations being male. The average person named Meru today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meru births was 2019 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meru. 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 Meru. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
2019
10 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,457
Tracked since 2016
Gender
Gender distribution for Meru
Meru is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 15 total registrations, 10 (66.7%) were male and 5 (33.3%) were female.
Meru as a male name
- Ranked #13,457 in 2019
- 5 male births in 2019
- Peak: 2016 (5 births)
Meru as a female name
- Ranked #17,193 in 2019
- 5 female births in 2019
- Peak: 2019 (5 births)
Popularity
Meru: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Meru 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 Meru during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 10 | 5 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Meru
The name Meru originates from the Sanskrit language, which was the classical literary language of the Indian subcontinent. Its roots can be traced back to ancient India, where it was associated with the mythical Mount Meru, a sacred mountain believed to be the center of the universe in Hindu cosmology.
In Hindu mythology, Mount Meru is described as a golden mountain that rises high above the earth and is the abode of the gods. The name Meru is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word "meru," which means "high," "elevated," or "excellent," reflecting the significance of this mythical mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meru can be found in the Puranas, which are ancient Hindu texts that describe the creation, existence, and eventual destruction of the universe. The name is also mentioned in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, where it is associated with various characters and places.
Throughout history, the name Meru has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded figures with this name was Meru Brahma, a renowned Vedic scholar and grammarian who lived in the 7th century CE. Another prominent bearer of the name was Meru Tun, a 15th-century Burmese monarch who ruled the Inwa Kingdom from 1422 to 1425.
In more recent times, the name Meru has been associated with individuals from various fields. Meru Gokhale (1887-1952) was an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. Meru Edirisinghe (born 1935) is a Sri Lankan actress and filmmaker known for her contributions to the country's cinema.
Another notable figure with the name Meru is Meru Crickitt (born 1967), a British author and motivational speaker who overcame a severe traumatic brain injury and wrote about her experiences in the book "The Maze Runner."
While the name Meru has its roots in ancient Hindu mythology, it has transcended cultural and geographical boundaries, with individuals from various parts of the world bearing this name. Its connection to the sacred Mount Meru adds a sense of mysticism and spirituality to its meaning, making it a unique and meaningful choice for parents seeking a name with historical and cultural significance.
People
Meru + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meru 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
Meru: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meru?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meru 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Meru a common name?
We classify Meru as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% 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 Meru most popular?
The single biggest year for Meru was 2019, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meru is about 8 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 Meru in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Meru a male name?
Yes, 66.7% of people registered as Meru 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 Meru still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Meru 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 Meru 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 are named Meru?
Find out how many people share the name Meru on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.