Rising since 2012, #8,860 for girls today.
Popularity of Meritt since 1920
Babies named Meritt per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 0 | 5 |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 |
| 1990s | 5 | 5 |
| 2000s | 0 | 0 |
| 2010s | 48 | 23 |
| 2020s | 36 | 22 |
Meaning & origin
Meritt is a contemporary unisex name that first appeared in U.S. records in 1997. As of 2025, it holds a rank of 8,860 and a 1-in-146,115 birth frequency. Its trajectory shows a steady rise in use since 2012, reaching its peak popularity in 2025. The name has not yet been recorded among any top state lists, indicating its nascent status. Meritt is most likely a modern respelling of the surname Merritt, which originally denoted someone living near a boundary gate. Despite its lack of deep historical roots, Meritt appeals to parents seeking a distinctive yet familiar-sounding name with a clean, crisp sound.
Meritt is likely a respelling or variant of the surname Merritt, which itself derives from the Old English words 'mǣre' meaning 'boundary' and 'geat' meaning 'gate'. As a given name, it has seen occasional modern use, particularly in the United States, without strong historical tradition.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Mer, Rit
Sibling names for Meritt
Names that share Meritt's style, for a brother or sister.
