What does Merritt mean?

English: boundary gate; Old French: merit

Is Merritt a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Merritt is commonly used as a Unisex name.

How popular is Merritt?

It’s currently ranked #792 in the U.S. Recent trend: Rising.

Merritt Unisex

Popularity: #840 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Origin(s)

PronunciationMER-it / /ˈmɛrɪt/

English; Old French

Meaning

English: boundary gate; Old French: from the sea

Historical & Cultural Background

Merritt is derived from the Old French surname 'Mérid', which means 'from the sea'. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. The name is more commonly found in English-speaking countries. It is often associated with a sense of strength and resilience.

Trend Summary

Merritt has seen fluctuating popularity in the United States, with occasional peaks in usage.

Variants

Merit

International Variants

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Famous people named Merritt

Merritt Wever is an American actress known for her roles in television series such as 'Nurse Jackie' and 'Godless'.

Merritt Paulson is an American businessman and owner of the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns FC.

Merritt B. Fox is a professor of law and a recognized expert in corporate law.

Merritt H. McGowan was a notable American politician who served in the state legislature.

Fictional characters named Merritt

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Sibling Suggestions

Meredith Merrick Merryn Merrit Merris

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Merritt was first seen in the United States in 1880. Merritt has ranked as high as #795 nationally, which occurred in 1924, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, and Indiana. In the past 5 years the name Merritt has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Merritt (2024)

Year:

State	Births	Share
NC	8	31%
TX	7	27%
TN	6	23%
GA	5	19%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1880	18
1881	13
1882	5
1883	9
1884	9
1885	19
1886	10
1887	14
1888	12
1889	12
1890	12
1891	13
1892	17
1893	15
1894	22
1895	14
1896	14
1897	17
1898	22
1899	22
1900	7
1901	8
1902	14
1903	12
1904	16
1905	19
1906	19
1907	13
1908	9
1909	14
1910	14
1911	19
1912	52
1913	65
1914	55
1915	80
1916	95
1917	97
1918	93
1919	80
1920	107
1921	115
1922	107
1923	89
1924	121
1925	82
1926	94
1927	83
1928	89
1929	79
1930	75
1931	69
1932	58
1933	62
1934	63
1935	51
1936	69
1937	61
1938	63
1939	67
1940	53
1941	61
1942	53
1943	68
1944	57
1945	54
1946	60
1947	56
1948	57
1949	55
1950	51
1951	48
1952	46
1953	57
1954	57
1955	49
1956	41
1957	44
1958	27
1959	49
1960	38
1961	44
1962	39
1963	31
1964	40
1965	28
1966	34
1967	25
1968	24
1969	30
1970	28
1971	25
1972	25
1973	18
1974	19
1975	19
1976	14
1977	25
1978	19
1979	23
1980	18
1981	20
1982	16
1983	21
1984	16
1985	21
1986	25
1987	24
1988	18
1989	29
1990	16
1991	18
1992	18
1993	21
1994	18
1995	25
1996	20
1997	20
1998	15
1999	23
2000	24
2001	21
2002	26
2003	20
2004	28
2005	27
2006	28
2007	32
2008	28
2009	34
2010	36
2011	40
2012	42
2013	62
2014	65
2015	71
2016	78
2017	105
2018	106
2019	87
2020	80
2021	82
2022	78
2023	83
2024	84