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At a Glance: Name: Merit – Meaning: worth or excellence, from the English word 'merit' – Origin: English word-name (ultimately Latin meritum); separately a rare Scandinavian variant of Margaret via Marit/Märta – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: MER-it
Merit is a neutral name taken directly from the English word for worth or excellence, tracing back to the Latin meritum — pronounced MER-it. Separately, it also shows up as a rare Scandinavian variant of Margaret, arriving through the forms Marit and Märta. With its clean, modern feel, it works as a short, meaning-forward option for a child of any gender.
Meaning & Origin of Merit
Meaning: Worth or excellence, from the english word 'merit'.
Origin: English word-name (ultimately Latin meritum); separately a rare Scandinavian variant of Margaret via Marit/Märta.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Merit
Phonetic: MER-it IPA: /ˈmɛrɪt/
Popularity of Merit
Merit has stayed rare in U.S. records: it peaked at #3447 back in 1922 with just 8 babies given the name, and by 2024 it ranked #6338 with only 14. Across the full Social Security data range of 1918-2024, it's never been a common choice.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1918–2024.
Make Merit Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Merit, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Merit mean?
Worth or excellence, from the english word ‘merit’. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Merit)
How do you pronounce Merit?
Merit is pronounced MER-it (IPA: /ˈmɛrɪt/).
Is Merit a popular name right now?
Merit peaked at #3447 in 1922 and is ranked #6338 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1918–2024.)
📊 How popular is Merit? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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