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Home › Baby Names Directory › Merced

Merced

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Merced

Pronounced mer-SED /mɛrˈsɛd/Medium

Meaning: Merced is a Spanish name meaning 'mercy' or 'grace,' from the Latin merces; it is a Marian name honoring Our Lady of Mercy (Nuestra Senora de la Merced, Las Mercedes), and is given to boys and girls in Hispanic tradition.Medium

In 30 seconds: Merced is a Spanish name meaning 'mercy,' honoring Our Lady of Mercy. Given to boys and girls, it stayed rare in the United States, peaking around 1942 (said mer-SED).
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Origin MediumSpanish, Latin
MeaningMerced is a Spanish name meaning 'mercy' or 'grace,' from the Latin merces; it is a Marian name honoring Our Lady of Mercy (Nuestra Senora de la Merced, Las Mercedes), and is given to boys and girls in Hispanic tradition.
U.S. rank (2021)#10411 ↗ Rising
2021 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1942
Total births (all-time)≈ 764

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 194219052021

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Merced is a Marian devotional name meaning 'mercy,' drawn from Nuestra Senora de la Merced, Our Lady of Mercy. Borne reverently in Spanish-speaking families, it appears in the United States chiefly among Hispanic families and reads as a name of faith.

Merced was never common here, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak around 1942, and it has since grown very rare. It keeps its warm religious meaning wherever it is used.

Did you know? Merced honors the Virgin Mary under her title Our Lady of Mercy, La Merced; the same devotion gives us the fuller name Mercedes and the California city of Merced.
Overall data confidence 68%
References - Merced — Spanish 'mercy'; Marian devotion Our Lady of Mercy / La Merced

Variations

MercedesMercedez

Nicknames

MerceCheddy

Famous Bearers

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If you like Merced…

Mercedes— the fuller Our Lady of Mercy name
Merle— a like short vintage name
Marcelo— a like Spanish boy's name
Ramon— a familiar Spanish classic

Explore names like Merced

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Merced mean?

It is Spanish for 'mercy' or 'grace,' a Marian name honoring Our Lady of Mercy, La Merced.

How do you pronounce Merced?

It is said mer-SED /mɛrˈsɛd/, two syllables with the stress on the second.

Is Merced a boy or girl name?

Merced is used for both boys and girls in Spanish tradition; it appears here as a boy's name.

How popular is Merced?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the early nineteen-forties, mostly in Hispanic families.

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