Holding steady.
Popularity of Merton since 1880
Babies named Merton per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1920, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Merton's real moment was 1880.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 158 |
| 1890s | 128 |
| 1900s | 145 |
| 1910s | 821 |
| 1920s | 1,311 |
| 1930s | 761 |
| 1940s | 428 |
| 1950s | 239 |
| 1960s | 135 |
| 1970s | 84 |
| 1980s | 27 |
| 1990s | 10 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Merton is a rare given name of Old English origin, derived from a place name meaning 'settlement by the lake.' It first appeared in U.S. data in 1880, the very first year of Social Security records, and achieved its peak rank that same year among boy names. Despite its antiquity, Merton has never been common; the data shows no births in recent years, with a stable trajectory of extremely low usage. The name is strongly tied to English place names and surnames, evoking a sense of rural or historical heritage. Parents considering Merton today would be choosing a distinctive and uncommon name with a clear, straightforward meaning rooted in English geography.
Merton originates from Old English 'mere' (lake or marsh) and 'tūn' (enclosure, settlement). As a surname and later a given name, it is associated with several places in England, notably Merton in Surrey and London. The name saw limited use as a first name in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Sibling names for Merton
Names that share Merton's style, for a brother or sister.
