Meryl is a girl name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Meryl means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Meryl across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Meryl has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Meryl is a girl name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “shining sea; blackbird”. A variant of Muriel or Meriel.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 5,599 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 65 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 11 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 6 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Meryl per year, United States (1892 to 2025). United States peaked in 1956 (156/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (9/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1986 (5/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2014 (3/yr).
Meryl is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1956, when it ranked #1,367 nationally (given to 156 babies that year).
Muriel · Merle · Marely · Marylou · Merrill · Merrily · Myrl · Mareli
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