Given name & surname
Meriel
“of the shining sea”
Meriel is a variant of Muriel. One Irish interpretation is “of the shining sea.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Meriel is a variant of Muriel. One Irish interpretation is “of the shining sea.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Meriel is a variant of Muriel. An origin associated with Muriel is Celtic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Meriel is used as a variant of Muriel.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1916. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Meriel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 376
- 0 boys · 376 girls
- Most popular year
- 1934
- 15 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 13 in 2014. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 15 in 1934. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 440 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Meriel
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Meriel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Meris
“of the sea”
>99% girls
Marine
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Marvie
“a friend of the sea”
20% boys · 80% girls
Marinel
“of the sea; a seaman; a sailor”
>99% girls
Merryl
“of the shining sea”
>99% girls
Marylee
“star of the sea” · “from the sea of bitterness”
>99% girls
Harlene
“from the meadow of the hares”
>99% girls
Meryl
“resembling a blackbird” · “of the shining sea”
>99% girls