The first name Merritt
A unisex name.
2 syllables Unisex Also a surname
Meaning and origin
A male given name transferred from the surname, of 19th and 20th century usage.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Merritt at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 401 girls born in the United States were named Merritt, the 703rd most popular girls’ name that year.
GirlsBoys
9,382
babies named Merritt since 1880
#703
rank in 2025
2025
peak year
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Merritt
6 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Merritt WeverAmerican actress, born 1980
- William Merritt ChaseAmerican painter (1849–1916)
- Merritt ButrickAmerican actor (1959-1989)
- Merritt Lyndon FernaldAmerican botanist (1873-1950)
- Merritt PattersonCanadian actress, born 1990
- Kyle MacLachlanAmerican actor, born 1959
Questions
- Is Merritt a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 9,382 US babies named Merritt since 1880, 34% were girls and 66% boys.
- When was Merritt most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 401 babies were named Merritt, its highest rank at 703rd.
- Is Merritt also a surname?
- Yes. Merritt is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.