Merl is an uncommon variant of Merle that was most common in the 1920s and has all but disappeared.
Merl is predominantly a boy name. It last appears in U.S. records in 1986. Merl was first reported in SSA data in 1886 and peaked in 1922 (83 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 5 | — | — | #7,445 |
| 1985 | 5 | — | — | #7,224 |
| 1984 | 5 | — | — | #6,987 |
| 1977 | 8 | — | — | #4,446 |
| 1976 | 6 | — | — | #5,374 |
| 1975 | 7 | — | — | #4,633 |
| 1974 | 10 | — | — | #3,487 |
| 1973 | 10 | — | — | #3,362 |
| 1972 | 13 | — | — | #2,767 |
| 1971 | 7 | — | — | #4,230 |
| 1970 | 8 | — | — | #3,725 |
| 1969 | 14 | — | — | #2,375 |
| 1968 | 10 | — | — | #2,848 |
| 1967 | 13 | — | — | #2,312 |
| 1966 | 11 | — | #7,264 | #3,794 |
| 1965 | 15 | — | — | #2,141 |
| 1964 | 16 | — | — | #2,084 |
| 1963 | 24 | — | — | #1,646 |
| 1962 | 12 | — | — | #2,465 |
| 1961 | 21 | — | — | #1,806 |
| 1960 | 14 | — | — | #2,278 |
| 1959 | 18 | — | — | #1,952 |
| 1958 | 26 | — | — | #1,550 |
| 1957 | 22 | — | — | #1,741 |
| 1956 | 25 | — | — | #1,596 |
| 1955 | 24 | — | — | #1,596 |
| 1954 | 16 | — | — | #2,020 |
| 1953 | 31 | — | — | #1,369 |
| 1952 | 37 | — | — | #1,220 |
| 1951 | 38 | — | #5,229 | #1,323 |
| 1950 | 34 | — | — | #1,248 |
| 1949 | 30 | — | — | #1,334 |
| 1948 | 42 | — | — | #1,101 |
| 1947 | 37 | — | — | #1,204 |
| 1946 | 25 | — | — | #1,428 |
| 1945 | 29 | — | — | #1,241 |
| 1944 | 30 | — | — | #1,227 |
| 1943 | 39 | — | — | #1,098 |
| 1942 | 43 | — | #4,479 | #1,134 |
| 1941 | 34 | — | #4,855 | #1,246 |
| 1940 | 40 | — | #3,740 | #1,174 |
| 1939 | 32 | — | #4,720 | #1,293 |
| 1938 | 42 | — | — | #988 |
| 1937 | 49 | — | #4,711 | #953 |
| 1936 | 51 | — | #3,295 | #944 |
| 1935 | 39 | — | #3,346 | #1,219 |
| 1934 | 46 | — | — | #935 |
| 1933 | 39 | — | #4,066 | #1,154 |
| 1932 | 48 | — | — | #946 |
| 1931 | 53 | — | — | #885 |
| 1930 | 53 | — | #3,244 | #1,044 |
| 1929 | 68 | — | #3,592 | #851 |
| 1928 | 66 | — | #5,200 | #852 |
| 1927 | 73 | — | #3,769 | #837 |
| 1926 | 85 | — | #2,433 | #781 |
| 1925 | 79 | — | #3,567 | #791 |
| 1924 | 79 | — | #2,766 | #846 |
| 1923 | 80 | — | #3,285 | #799 |
| 1922 | 92 | — | #3,575 | #720 |
| 1921 | 80 | — | #4,897 | #786 |
| 1920 | 89 | — | #2,433 | #773 |
| 1919 | 91 | — | #3,381 | #688 |
| 1918 | 90 | — | #2,956 | #719 |
| 1917 | 80 | — | #2,814 | #757 |
| 1916 | 80 | — | #4,242 | #694 |
| 1915 | 67 | — | #2,837 | #809 |
| 1914 | 63 | — | #2,215 | #731 |
| 1913 | 43 | — | #3,531 | #773 |
| 1912 | 43 | — | #1,690 | #791 |
| 1911 | 9 | — | — | #1,254 |
| 1910 | 12 | — | — | #971 |
| 1909 | 7 | — | — | #1,232 |
| 1908 | 18 | — | #1,791 | #863 |
| 1907 | 18 | — | — | #609 |
| 1906 | 12 | — | #2,132 | #1,077 |
| 1904 | 7 | — | — | #1,032 |
| 1903 | 14 | — | #1,529 | #983 |
| 1902 | 5 | — | — | #1,254 |
| 1901 | 7 | — | — | #914 |
| 1899 | 10 | — | — | #690 |
| 1898 | 13 | — | #1,344 | #1,244 |
| 1897 | 8 | — | — | #835 |
| 1896 | 9 | — | — | #807 |
| 1895 | 13 | — | #1,264 | #1,199 |
| 1893 | 6 | — | — | #990 |
| 1892 | 6 | — | — | #1,037 |
| 1891 | 9 | — | — | #681 |
| 1887 | 8 | — | — | #721 |
| 1886 | 7 | — | — | #814 |