Meryl
How to say it: meh-REEL · /me.ˈʁil/
English variant of Muriel, Celtic for 'bright sea' - popularized in US by actress Meryl Streep.
Meryl was the 7,150th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 12 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1950s, its births are down about 69% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #9,302 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #7,150 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 12 |
| Share of births | 1 in 276,278 |
| Peak decade | 1950s |
| Change over 10 years | −69% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #9,302 |
| In France, 2025 | #518 among girls’ names, 75 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Meryl peaked in the 1950s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Meryl is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French.
In France: #518 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Meryl
- Meryl Streep (born 1949)American actress
- Meryl Davis (born 1987)American ice dancer
- Meryl Cassie (born 1984)New Zealand actress and singer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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