Merrill, derived from the Old German name Merahildis, is an uncommon given name of Germanic origin. It is composed of the elements 'meri', meaning 'famous', and 'hild', which signifies 'battle'. While Merrill has not been among the top choices for newborns in recent years, it was quite popular during the mid-20th century in English-speaking countries like the United States.
The name Merrill experienced varying popularity throughout the years with peaks and valleys. In its early years, from 1905 to 1934, it saw an average of about 13 births per year, reaching a high of 22 in 1935. The name then gained considerable traction between 1942 and 1954, with a significant increase in popularity, peaking at 52 births in both 1949 and 1950. After this period of prominence, Merrill's popularity began to decline steadily until the late 1980s when it stabilized around an average of about 15 births per year. From the late 1990s onwards, the name has seen fluctuating popularity with no clear trend, but generally remains in low popularity with single-digit numbers of births per year. In total, between 1905 and 2022, there have been 2062 births registered as Merrill.