Merle is an established name used for both girls and boys that peaked in 1921 and has since faded.
Merle is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #3,485 among boys (33) and #16,474 among girls (5) — overall #6,799 across all names. The charts below show girls and boys separately.
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38 | 38 | #16,474 | #3,485 |
| 2024 | 22 | 22 | — | #4,654 |
| 2023 | 40 | 40 | — | #3,098 |
| 2022 | 27 | 27 | — | #4,059 |
| 2021 | 22 | 22 | — | #4,589 |
| 2020 | 33 | 33 | — | #3,388 |
| 2019 | 22 | 22 | — | #4,589 |
| 2018 | 23 | 23 | — | #4,443 |
| 2017 | 20 | 20 | — | #4,874 |
| 2016 | 14 | 14 | — | #6,234 |
| 2015 | 21 | 21 | — | #4,653 |
| 2014 | 15 | 15 | — | #5,902 |
| 2013 | 16 | 16 | — | #5,556 |
| 2012 | 9 | 9 | — | #8,639 |
| 2011 | 18 | 18 | — | #5,122 |
| 2010 | 22 | 22 | — | #4,466 |
| 2009 | 22 | 22 | — | #4,534 |
| 2008 | 19 | 19 | — | #5,005 |
| 2007 | 17 | 17 | — | #5,351 |
| 2006 | 26 | 26 | — | #3,860 |
| 2005 | 18 | 18 | — | #4,765 |
| 2004 | 26 | 26 | #17,897 | #4,210 |
| 2003 | 27 | 27 | #17,471 | #3,922 |
| 2002 | 13 | 13 | — | #5,621 |
| 2001 | 30 | 30 | — | #3,038 |
| 2000 | 26 | 26 | — | #3,267 |
| 1999 | 23 | 23 | — | #3,451 |
| 1998 | 20 | 20 | — | #3,664 |
| 1997 | 28 | — | — | #2,797 |
| 1996 | 28 | — | — | #2,723 |
| 1995 | 41 | — | #12,791 | #2,279 |
| 1994 | 26 | — | — | #2,822 |
| 1993 | 40 | — | #12,873 | #2,276 |
| 1992 | 39 | — | #12,795 | #2,284 |
| 1991 | 37 | — | #14,585 | #2,274 |
| 1990 | 33 | — | — | #2,197 |
| 1989 | 41 | — | #6,408 | #2,394 |
| 1988 | 48 | — | — | #1,543 |
| 1987 | 49 | — | #10,752 | #1,628 |
| 1986 | 41 | — | #10,401 | #1,778 |
| 1985 | 49 | — | — | #1,406 |
| 1984 | 57 | — | #9,911 | #1,310 |
| 1983 | 65 | — | — | #1,115 |
| 1982 | 65 | — | #7,942 | #1,239 |
| 1981 | 80 | — | #5,472 | #1,120 |
| 1980 | 64 | — | #11,496 | #1,196 |
| 1979 | 87 | — | #8,641 | #1,000 |
| 1978 | 71 | — | #5,828 | #1,142 |
| 1977 | 80 | — | — | #960 |
| 1976 | 70 | — | #10,286 | #1,034 |
| 1975 | 81 | — | #6,898 | #963 |
| 1974 | 88 | — | #6,063 | #918 |
| 1973 | 106 | — | #4,507 | #828 |
| 1972 | 124 | — | #4,449 | #756 |
| 1971 | 167 | — | #5,370 | #657 |
| 1970 | 149 | — | #3,524 | #720 |
| 1969 | 128 | — | #3,412 | #745 |
| 1968 | 156 | — | #2,840 | #653 |
| 1967 | 111 | — | #2,935 | #764 |
| 1966 | 145 | — | #2,500 | #676 |
| 1965 | 183 | — | #2,513 | #608 |
| 1964 | 204 | — | #1,936 | #609 |
| 1963 | 233 | — | #1,705 | #580 |
| 1962 | 233 | — | #1,551 | #582 |
| 1961 | 235 | — | #1,459 | #595 |
| 1960 | 238 | — | #1,398 | #590 |
| 1959 | 302 | — | #1,239 | #523 |
| 1958 | 327 | — | #1,078 | #506 |
| 1957 | 344 | — | #1,122 | #488 |
| 1956 | 399 | — | #986 | #441 |
| 1955 | 404 | — | #919 | #431 |
| 1954 | 444 | — | #804 | #410 |
| 1953 | 448 | — | #836 | #388 |
| 1952 | 474 | — | #772 | #367 |
| 1951 | 504 | — | #754 | #360 |
| 1950 | 536 | — | #721 | #339 |
| 1949 | 507 | — | #678 | #357 |
| 1948 | 611 | — | #618 | #322 |
| 1947 | 595 | — | #602 | #345 |
| 1946 | 612 | — | #549 | #319 |
| 1945 | 578 | — | #512 | #307 |
| 1944 | 630 | — | #466 | #305 |
| 1943 | 680 | — | #486 | #290 |
| 1942 | 717 | — | #441 | #288 |
| 1941 | 707 | — | #464 | #254 |
| 1940 | 704 | — | #443 | #254 |
| 1939 | 804 | — | #406 | #225 |
| 1938 | 789 | — | #415 | #228 |
| 1937 | 821 | — | #370 | #229 |
| 1936 | 909 | — | #338 | #209 |
| 1935 | 791 | — | #390 | #226 |
| 1934 | 811 | — | #449 | #207 |
| 1933 | 756 | — | #476 | #204 |
| 1932 | 793 | — | #461 | #211 |
| 1931 | 875 | — | #442 | #198 |
| 1930 | 948 | — | #437 | #196 |
| 1929 | 955 | — | #440 | #188 |
| 1928 | 1,057 | — | #390 | #186 |
| 1927 | 1,119 | — | #386 | #179 |
| 1926 | 1,127 | — | #365 | #180 |
| 1925 | 1,240 | — | #333 | #175 |
| 1924 | 1,165 | — | #346 | #184 |
| 1923 | 1,184 | — | #321 | #180 |
| 1922 | 1,229 | — | #330 | #172 |
| 1921 | 1,275 | — | #311 | #173 |
| 1920 | 1,222 | — | #324 | #171 |
| 1919 | 1,091 | — | #331 | #182 |
| 1918 | 1,170 | — | #332 | #170 |
| 1917 | 1,061 | — | #328 | #178 |
| 1916 | 977 | — | #313 | #191 |
| 1915 | 948 | — | #315 | #186 |
| 1914 | 662 | — | #336 | #201 |
| 1913 | 563 | — | #313 | #202 |
| 1912 | 489 | — | #307 | #207 |
| 1911 | 266 | — | #322 | #236 |
| 1910 | 238 | — | #334 | #235 |
| 1909 | 196 | — | #332 | #256 |
| 1908 | 196 | — | #323 | #244 |
| 1907 | 194 | — | #330 | #226 |
| 1906 | 156 | — | #372 | #230 |
| 1905 | 169 | — | #322 | #256 |
| 1904 | 145 | — | #341 | #263 |
| 1903 | 181 | — | #295 | #216 |
| 1902 | 170 | — | #299 | #245 |
| 1901 | 143 | — | #316 | #239 |
| 1900 | 167 | — | #315 | #283 |
| 1899 | 130 | — | #320 | #264 |
| 1898 | 126 | — | #357 | #254 |
| 1897 | 104 | — | #351 | #318 |
| 1896 | 130 | — | #314 | #277 |
| 1895 | 137 | — | #303 | #265 |
| 1894 | 108 | — | #333 | #286 |
| 1893 | 88 | — | #346 | #344 |
| 1892 | 98 | — | #341 | #302 |
| 1891 | 80 | — | #371 | #281 |
| 1890 | 94 | — | #307 | #346 |
| 1889 | 77 | — | #376 | #287 |
| 1888 | 40 | — | #509 | #518 |
| 1887 | 36 | — | #681 | #338 |
| 1886 | 36 | — | #627 | #376 |
| 1885 | 42 | — | #551 | #337 |
| 1884 | 35 | — | #534 | #424 |
| 1883 | 38 | — | #508 | #349 |
| 1882 | 24 | — | #589 | #530 |
| 1881 | 19 | — | #795 | #498 |
| 1880 | 23 | — | #810 | #437 |