This post contains affiliate links.
At a Glance
- Meaning
- Joyful or cheerful, from the adjective 'merry'
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Neutral
- Pronunciation
- MER-ee
Merry comes straight from the English word itself, meaning joyful or cheerful — there's no hidden layer to dig for here. It's pronounced MER-ee, and it works as a name for a child of any gender. If you want a name that says exactly what it sounds like it says, this is about as direct as it gets.
Meaning & Origin of Merry
Meaning: Joyful or cheerful, from the adjective 'merry'.
Origin: English.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Merry
MER-eeIPA /ˈmɛri/
Popularity of Merry
Merry peaked in 1948, when 307 babies were given the name and it ranked #456 nationally. By 2024 it had fallen all the way to #7117, with just 16 babies recorded — a name the Social Security Administration has tracked since 1898 but one that's now rarely used.
Names Like Merry
These names share Merry’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Merry mean?
Joyful or cheerful, from the adjective ‘merry’. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Merry?
Merry is pronounced MER-ee (IPA: /ˈmɛri/).
Is Merry a popular name right now?
Merry peaked at #456 in 1948 and is ranked #7117 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1898–2024.)
Make Merry Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Merry, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Merry? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
🎲 Think you know your baby names? Take the quiz!
📱 The Baby Names app is here
Swipe names, match with your partner the moment you both say yes, and claim a free Name Art print of your winner. Free to download. See all our apps →




