Myril
French feminine form of Myrille, ultimately from the Greek myrizein "to anoint."
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Myril. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 70.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Myril today is around 82 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Myril births was 1937 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Myril. 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 Myril is about 82 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Myrils were born before 1954.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Myril. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1937
6 babies that year
Average age
82
years old
1938 SSA rank
#3,411
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Myril
Myril is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 17 total registrations, 12 (70.6%) were male and 5 (29.4%) were female.
Myril as a male name
- Ranked #3,411 in 1938
- 6 male births in 1938
- Peak: 1937 (6 births)
Myril as a female name
- Ranked #4,764 in 1915
- 5 female births in 1915
- Peak: 1915 (5 births)
Popularity
Myril: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Myril from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 12 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Myril 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 Myril 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 Myril
The name Myril has its origins in ancient Greek culture, dating back to the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Greek word "myros," meaning fragrance or perfume, and is closely related to the name Myrrha, which was associated with the aromatic resin of the same name.
In Greek mythology, Myrrha was a tragic figure who was transformed into a myrrh tree after committing an incestuous act with her father. The name Myril, with its connection to fragrance, may have been a way to honor this mythological figure or to signify purity and sweetness.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Myril can be found in the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus, who mentions a woman by that name in his work "Histories." However, the name does not appear to have been widely used in ancient Greece.
In the Middle Ages, the name Myril gained some popularity among certain Christian communities, possibly due to its association with the biblical story of the three wise men bringing myrrh as a gift to the infant Jesus. However, it remained a relatively uncommon name throughout this period.
The first documented individual with the name Myril was Myril of Whitby, an English abbess who lived in the 7th century CE. She is known for her work in establishing monasteries and promoting education in the region of Northumbria.
Another notable figure with the name Myril was Myril de Blois, a French noblewoman who lived in the 12th century CE. She was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis VII of France and played a role in the political affairs of the time.
In the 16th century, Myril Baskerville was an English landowner and member of the gentry. She is noteworthy for her involvement in a legal dispute over property rights, which was documented in court records of the time.
During the Renaissance period, Myril Montague was an Italian poet and philosopher who lived in the 15th century CE. Her works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, and she was influential in the literary circles of her time.
In the 19th century, Myril Westwood was a British artist and writer known for her landscape paintings and travel memoirs. She traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East, capturing the beauty of various regions in her artworks.
Throughout its history, the name Myril has remained relatively rare, but its unique blend of Greek origins and mythological associations has given it a distinctive character and richness of meaning.
People
Myril + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Myril 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
Myril: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Myril?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Myril 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Myril a common name?
We classify Myril as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Myril most popular?
The single biggest year for Myril was 1937, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Myril is about 82 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 Myril in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Myril a male name?
Yes, 70.6% of people registered as Myril 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 Myril still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Myril 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 Myril 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 share the name Myril?
Want to know how many people have the name Myril? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.