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Home › Baby Names Directory › Merrel

Merrel

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Merrel

Pronounced MEHR-uhl /ˈmɛr.əl/Medium

Meaning: Merrel is a variant of Merrill, an English surname that arose either from a place meaning 'pleasant hill' or from the medieval given name Muriel ('bright sea'). It also shades toward Merle. As a first name it was carried mostly by men in the early twentieth century.Low

In 30 seconds: Merrel is a rare boy's name, a variant of Merrill, from a surname meaning 'pleasant place' or from Muriel. It appears in early US records and peaked around 1922 (said MEHR-uhl).
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningMerrel is a variant of Merrill, an English surname that arose either from a place meaning 'pleasant hill' or from the medieval given name Muriel ('bright sea'). It also shades toward Merle. As a first name it was carried mostly by men in the early twentieth century.
U.S. rank (1955)#4208 ↘ Falling
1955 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1922
Total births (all-time)≈ 259

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192219081955

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

Merrel is a variant of Merrill, an English surname from either a 'pleasant hill' place-name or the medieval Muriel. Used as a Southern and rural given name, it belongs to the early-twentieth-century vogue for surname first names.

It was never common in this spelling, given to only about fifteen boys a year even at its peak around 1922, and had faded by mid-century. A boy named Merrel then would belong to his great-grandfather's generation.

Did you know? The surname Merrill has a double life - in some families it grew from a place-name meaning 'pleasant hill,' in others from the old woman's name Muriel, so a Merrel's roots depend on which line he descends from.
Overall data confidence 35%
References - Merrel — Variant of Merrill (surname 'pleasant hill'/from Muriel); shades toward Merle; early-1900s cohort.

Variations

MerrillMerrellMerylMerle

Nicknames

Merr

Famous Bearers

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If you like Merrel…

Merrill— the standard form Merrel varies
Merle— a like name it shades toward
Merritt— a similar surname turned first name
Terrell— another two-beat surname-name of the era

Explore names like Merrel

By themerareenglishvintagesurname

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Merrel mean?

It is a variant of Merrill, from an English surname meaning 'pleasant hill' or from the medieval name Muriel, 'bright sea.'

How do you pronounce Merrel?

It is said MEHR-uhl /ˈmɛr.əl/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Merrel a boy or girl name?

Merrel is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Merrel?

It was always rare in this spelling, given to only about fifteen boys a year even at its peak in the nineteen-twenties.

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