Merritt

“Transferred use of the surname Merritt” — English origin

Boy's name · #1505 in the US (2025) · Heirloom

Merritt belongs to an older America first — it reached #400 back in 1899 — yet it still appears in today's records at #1505. About 6,200 boys have carried it since 1880. It is also an American family name — about 46,000 people carried it as a surname in the 2010 census. For most of its history Merritt was mostly a boys' name; since around 2014 most babies named Merritt have been girls.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 10 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Merritts

Merritt Butrick — American actor (1959-1989)
Merritt Lyndon Fernald — American botanist (1873-1950)
Merritt Ruhlen — American linguist (1944–2021)
Merritt Giffin — American discus thrower (1887–1911)
Merritt A. Edson — Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient (1897-1955)

What Merritts become

Among 69 notable people named Merritt:

Military figures appear 3.07× more often than among typical names — e.g. Merritt B. Curtis, American military officer and lawyer.

Similar names: Conley · Merrick · Ransom · Smith · Mercer · Whit

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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