Merle is an ancient Germanic given name, derived from the Old German word 'mer' meaning 'famous'. It gained popularity during the Middle Ages and has been used by both sexes throughout history. The name Merle is often associated with birds due to its similarity to the French word for blackbird, 'merle', which shares the same etymology. Notable figures bearing this name include the British poet Ted Hughes, who used it as his pen name, and the American actress Merle Oberon.
The name Merl seems to have been quite popular around the turn of the century, with a significant increase in births from 1912 onwards, peaking at 31 births in 1912 and 38 births in 1913. This trend continued until 1922, with over 70 births recorded each year between 1915 and 1922. However, there was a gradual decline in popularity throughout the 1930s and 1940s, with fewer than 50 births recorded annually from 1930 onwards. In recent years, the name has become quite rare, with fewer than 10 births recorded each year since 1962. Overall, there were a total of 2574 babies named Merl over the period covered by these statistics.