Meryll
Variant of the feminine name Meryl, derived from the French "émeraude" meaning emerald.
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Meryll. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Meryll today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meryll births was 1951 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meryll. 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 Meryll is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Merylls were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Meryll. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1951
5 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1951 SSA rank
#5,963
Tracked since 1951
Popularity
Meryll: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Meryll 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 Meryll during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Meryll
The name Meryll is a variant spelling of the English name Meryl, which is derived from the French name Merielle. The name Merielle is thought to have originated as a combination of the French words "mer" meaning "sea" and "ille" meaning "island."
The earliest recorded use of the name Meryll dates back to the 12th century in medieval France, where it was used as a feminine given name. During this time, the name was associated with the sea and coastal regions, possibly due to its connection to the French word "mer."
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Meryll can be found in a 13th-century French poem called "The Romance of the Rose." In this work, a character named Meryll is described as a beautiful young woman with a connection to the sea.
In the 15th century, the name gained popularity among English nobility, particularly in coastal regions of England. One notable figure from this period was Meryll Fitzwilliam (1435-1492), a noblewoman from Yorkshire, known for her patronage of the arts.
As the name spread across Europe, it gained various spellings and pronunciations. In Italy, the name was adapted as Merilla, and in Spain, it became Merila. One of the earliest recorded Spanish uses of the name was Merila de Castilla (1467-1521), a renowned poet and scholar from Seville.
In the 16th century, the name Meryll appeared in several English literary works, including William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest." In the play, a character named Meryll is described as a spirit of the sea, further reinforcing the name's connection to the ocean.
Another notable figure with the name Meryll was Meryll Drummond (1592-1675), a Scottish noblewoman and philanthropist who founded several schools and hospitals in her homeland.
During the 17th century, the name Meryll gained popularity in the American colonies, particularly in coastal regions. One of the earliest recorded uses of the name in America was Meryll Winthrop (1618-1678), the daughter of the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Meryll continued to be used across Europe and America, although it remained relatively uncommon. One notable figure from this period was Meryll Everett (1784-1865), an American author and educator who wrote several books on the importance of women's education.
People
Meryll + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meryll 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
Meryll: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meryll?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meryll 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Meryll a common name?
We classify Meryll as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meryll most popular?
The single biggest year for Meryll was 1951, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meryll is about 79 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 Meryll in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Meryll a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meryll 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 Meryll still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Meryll 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 Meryll 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 called Meryll?
You can see how many people have the name Meryll on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.