Merle: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “blackbird”
- Origin
- French
- Say it
- MURL · 1 syllable
- Used for
- Both (33% girls, 67% boys since 1880)
Merle comes from French merle, meaning 'blackbird,' from Latin merula. It has been used for both men and women in English-speaking contexts.
How popular is Merle?
Babies named Merle in 202422
2024 rank#4,555 boys
Peak year1921
Total US babies since 188045,348
Merle is rising: use over the last five years is 1.9× what it was a decade earlier.
Names like Merle
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
Merle questions
What does the name Merle mean?
Merle means "blackbird". It comes from French. Merle comes from French merle, meaning 'blackbird,' from Latin merula. It has been used for both men and women in English-speaking contexts.
Is Merle a boy or girl name?
Merle is used for both: about 33% of US babies named Merle since 1880 were girls.
How popular is Merle?
22 US babies were named Merle in 2024. Its peak year was 1921.
How do you pronounce Merle?
Merle is usually pronounced MURL.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.