Merry
Merry was the 10634th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 9 babies. Its best year was 1948, when it ranked 456th; the most babies were born in 1954 (355). Over the last ten years it has moved down 5,028 places. More babies were named Merry in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Mary) Origin uncertain · Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin
- Rank in 2025
- #10,634 girls, down 3,808 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 9girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1954355 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,369babies recorded
What does the name Merry mean?
Merry is a spelling of Mary, pronounced the same way, so it shares Mary's meaning and origin.
Mary is the English form of Maria, from Greek Mariam and Hebrew Miryam (Miriam), the name of the mother of Jesus and of Moses' sister. DMNES calls the original meaning uncertain: it is often linked with a root meaning 'to be bitter', while others suggest 'rebellion', and Wiktionary agrees the meaning is uncertain. DMNES notes that Mary and Miriam were treated as one name in the Middle Ages. Wikipedia notes the vowel change from Miryam to Mariam reflected in the Greek forms.
מִרְיָם (Biblical Hebrew, “Miryam”)Μαρία (Koine Greek, “Maria”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Origin uncertain; 'bitter' and 'rebellion' are proposals.
Related names: Maria, Marie, Miriam, Molly, Polly, Mae, Maureen.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mary', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Mary', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Mary (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Merry popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,634 | 9 |
| 2020 | #6,826 | 17 |
| 2010 | #6,110 | 22 |
| 2000 | #4,924 | 24 |
| 1990 | #3,269 | 34 |
| 1980 | #2,235 | 45 |
| 1970 | #1,005 | 125 |
| 1960 | #603 | 274 |
| 1950 | #474 | 292 |
| 1940 | #634 | 124 |
| 1930 | #1,191 | 40 |
| 1920 | #936 | 61 |
| 1910 | #2,320 | 6 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Merry, counting every spelling?
Merry is a spelling of Mary, a name family that ranked #150 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #10,634 for Merry on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,252 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary | 2,230 | #125 | 10,755 |
| Merry | 9 | #10,634 | 68 |
| Marea | 7 | #12,701 | 28 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Merry?
9 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Merry (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Merry born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 930 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Merry.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Merry?
About 7,200 people born in the US named Merry are alive today, with a median age of 67; half are between 56 and 75. That makes Merry a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Merry: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Merry, they share its era and feel.
Merry is also a nickname for Meredith.
Questions about the name Merry
What does Merry mean?
The origin of Mary is uncertain: Origin uncertain; 'bitter' and 'rebellion' are proposals.
How popular is the name Merry?
Merry was the 10634th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 9 babies. Its best year was 1948, when it ranked 456th; the most babies were born in 1954 (355). Over the last ten years it has moved down 5,028 places. More babies were named Merry in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Merry a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Merry in the US.