Meryk
A masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly Polish or Slavic.
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Meryk. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Meryk today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meryk births was 2006 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meryk. 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 Meryk. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
2006
7 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2018 SSA rank
#13,462
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Meryk: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meryk from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 7 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Meryk remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meryk 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 Meryk 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 Meryk
The name Meryk is believed to have its origins in the Slavic languages, specifically in the region that is now modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic. It is thought to be a variation of the name Meryc, which itself is derived from the Old Slavic word "meru," meaning "peace" or "tranquility."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meryk can be found in the historical records of the Piast dynasty, which ruled over parts of Poland from the 10th to the 14th centuries. It is mentioned in the "Gesta Principum Polonorum" (Deeds of the Princes of Poland), a chronicle written in the 13th century by an anonymous author.
In the Middle Ages, the name Meryk was relatively common among the nobility and gentry in Central and Eastern Europe. One notable figure was Meryk of Nysa, a Polish nobleman and military commander who played a pivotal role in the defense of Silesia against the Teutonic Knights in the 14th century.
Another significant historical figure bearing the name was Meryk Gedymin, a prince of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 15th century. He was a direct descendant of the renowned Grand Duke Gediminas and was known for his diplomatic efforts in strengthening the alliance between Lithuania and Poland.
During the Renaissance period, the name Meryk gained popularity among scholars and artists. One such individual was Meryk Bekker, a Dutch painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century and was renowned for his portraits and religious works.
In the 18th century, Meryk Kopernik, a Polish astronomer and mathematician, made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He is known for his work on the motion of planets and the development of new methods for calculating planetary orbits.
As the name Meryk traveled across Europe, it also found its way into the annals of Russian history. In the 19th century, Meryk Lermontov was a prominent Russian writer and poet, best known for his novel "A Hero of Our Time," which is considered a classic of Russian literature.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Meryk. While its popularity has waxed and waned over the centuries, the name continues to carry the connotations of peace and tranquility that its Slavic roots suggest.
People
Meryk + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meryk 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
Meryk: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meryk?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meryk 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Meryk a common name?
We classify Meryk as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meryk most popular?
The single biggest year for Meryk was 2006, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meryk is about 15 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 Meryk in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Meryk a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meryk 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 Meryk still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Meryk 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 Meryk 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 Meryk as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.