Merry
Merry is a girl's name of English origin.
Meaning
Joyful, cheerful, or pleasant.
Origin and history
Merry is an English virtue and vocabulary name derived from the Middle English word 'merie', meaning cheerful or joyful. Historically used as a given name, it saw moderate popularity in the United States during the mid-20th century. Today, it is an uncommon choice, often associated with festive or cheerful connotations.
Popularity in the United States
10,369 babies in the United States have been named Merry since 1880. It ranks #1596 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #2016.
States where it is most popular
- CA (13.8 %)
- IL (9.4 %)
- MI (8.7 %)
- TX (8.4 %)
- NY (6.9 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 5 |
| 1900-1910 | 30 |
| 1910-1920 | 209 |
| 1920-1930 | 495 |
| 1930-1940 | 661 |
| 1940-1950 | 2,246 |
| 1950-1960 | 2,972 |
| 1960-1970 | 1,833 |
| 1970-1980 | 698 |
| 1980-1990 | 436 |
| 1990-2000 | 293 |
| 2000-2010 | 200 |
| 2010-2019 | 206 |
| 2020-2029 | 85 |
Famous people named Merry
- Merry Clayton: Singer, Musician
- Merry Anders: Actress, Model
Fun facts
- Merry is famous in literature as the short nickname for Meriadoc Brandybuck in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
- The name directly derives from the Old English word 'myrge', which originally meant agreeable or pleasing.