Given name & surname
Merl
“resembling a blackbird”
Merl is a variant of Merle. One French interpretation is “resembling a blackbird.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Merl is a variant of Merle. One French interpretation is “resembling a blackbird.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Merl is a variant of Merle. An origin associated with Merle is French.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1886. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Merl through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,852
- 2,574 boys · 278 girls
- Most popular year
- 1922
- 92 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 90% boys.
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1986. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 83 in 1922. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 940 as a first name in 2020; 228 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Merl’s family of names
Merl has a related form in Merle. In Greek usage, Merl is a transliteration of Μερλ.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Merl, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Murl
76% boys · 24% girls
Merton
“from the village near the pond” · “from the town near the lake”
>99% boys
Verl
92% boys · 8% girls
Melton
“from the mill town”
>99% boys
Ezell
Ezell is a surname.
>99% boys
Morton
“from the town near the moor”
>99% boys
Burl
“from the knotted wood”
>99% boys
Milford
“from the mill's ford”
>99% boys