Merald
A name derived from the words "mere" and "ald", meaning "sea protector".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Merald. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Merald today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merald births was 1937 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merald. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Merald is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Meralds were born before 1968.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Merald. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1937
7 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
1975 SSA rank
#6,008
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Merald: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Merald from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 12 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Merald remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Merald by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Merald during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Merald
The name Merald is a unique and intriguing moniker with a rich cultural heritage. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Germanic tribes, particularly the Visigoths, who inhabited regions of modern-day Spain and France during the 5th century AD. The name is derived from the proto-Germanic root "mēr," which means "famous" or "renowned," combined with the suffix "-ald," a common ending in Germanic names.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Merald appears in the Codex Visigothicus, a compilation of Visigothic laws and edicts dating back to the 7th century. The name is mentioned in reference to a noble Visigothic lord who played a significant role in the region's governance during that period.
In the annals of history, several notable individuals have borne the name Merald. One such figure was Merald of Worms (c. 980 - 1040), a renowned German scholar and theologian who made significant contributions to the study of canon law and the interpretation of religious texts during the High Middle Ages.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Merald de Montfort (1205 - 1273), a French nobleman and crusader who participated in the Seventh Crusade led by King Louis IX of France. His exploits and valor in battle earned him a place in the chronicles of the time.
During the Renaissance period, the name Merald gained popularity in Italy, where it was often associated with artists and intellectuals. One such individual was Merald Boccaccio (1460 - 1525), a Florentine painter whose works adorned the walls of churches and palaces throughout the region.
In the realm of literature, the name Merald found its way into the works of renowned authors. William Shakespeare immortalized the name in his play "The Taming of the Shrew," where a character named Merald appears as a suitor to the fiery Katherina.
Traversing the seas, the name Merald also resonated in the distant lands of the Americas. Merald Cortés (1548 - 1612), a Spanish conquistador and explorer, is credited with establishing several settlements in what is now Mexico and contributing to the expansion of the Spanish Empire in the New World.
These are but a few examples of the rich tapestry woven by the name Merald throughout history, a testament to its enduring appeal and the diverse individuals who have carried it across cultures and centuries.
People
Merald + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merald as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Merald: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merald?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merald going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Merald a common name?
We classify Merald as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merald most popular?
The single biggest year for Merald was 1937, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merald is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Merald in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Merald a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Merald in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Merald still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Merald in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Merald can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Merald as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Merald, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.