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Merl
How to Pronounce Merl
Pronounced MURL /ˈmɜrl/Medium
Meaning: Merl is a trimmed spelling of Merle, from French merle, 'blackbird' (Latin merula). Used for boys, it is a spare, one-syllable early-century name; it can also read as a short form of Merlin.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
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
Merl is a variant of Merle, from French merle, 'blackbird,' from Latin merula. As a boys' name it belongs to the early-twentieth-century taste for short, plain names like Earl and Burl, and it can double as a clip of Merlin. Established by 1886, it peaked in 1922 and had faded by the mid-1980s.
A man named Merl at its 1922 peak would be past a century, a great-grandfather-era name. It has the unadorned dignity of its Earl-and-Burl generation; it reads firmly vintage, sits with Merle, Earl and Burl, and its blackbird meaning gives it a small nature note. The single MURL beat is spare and old-fashioned.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Merl mean?
Merl is a variant of Merle, from French merle, meaning 'blackbird.'
How do you pronounce Merl?
It's said MURL /ˈmɜrl/ — one syllable.
Is Merl a boy or girl name?
Merl is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Merl?
Merl was an early-twentieth-century name that peaked in the nineteen-twenties and has been rare since.