Merl
Merl is a male given name: 90% of people named Merl are men, and it is recorded as male in 1 of the 1 countries covered.
- Verdict
- Male
- Male / female split
- 90% male / 10% female
- Confidence
- Medium (8 to 63 weighted country observations)
- Most common in
- United States
- US births since 1880
- 2,574 male / 278 female
- Data
- nam_dict (GFDL) + US SSA
- Updated
- 2026-09-11
How to address Merl
When you do not know their gender for certain, the full name with no title is the safe choice: "Dear Merl," in English, "Guten Tag Merl," in German. Merl is a male given name: about 90% of people named Merl are men. A quick look at a profile confirms it for certain.
Ready-made greetings in six languages
English
Dear Merl,
German
Guten Tag Merl,
French
Bonjour Merl,
Spanish
Estimado/a Merl:
Chinese
Merl您好:
Japanese
Merl様
English
Hi Merl,
German
Hi Merl,
French
Salut Merl,
Spanish
Hola Merl,
Chinese
Merl你好:
Japanese
Merlさん
This is a statistical estimate, not a statement about the gender, identity or correct form of address of any particular person.
Country breakdown
| Country | How common | Usually | Male share |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | uncommon | man's name | 90% |
United States birth data
2,574 male · 278 female · 2,852 births recorded
Since 1980: 100% male.
Frequently asked questions
Is Merl a male or female name?
Merl is a male given name: 90% of people named Merl are men, and it is recorded as male in 1 of the 1 countries covered.
How do I address Merl in an email?
When you do not know their gender for certain, the full name with no title is the safe choice: "Dear Merl," in English, "Guten Tag Merl," in German. Merl is a male given name: about 90% of people named Merl are men. A quick look at a profile confirms it for certain.
Is Merl a unisex name?
Merl is not a unisex name: 90% of people named Merl are men. Merl leans strongly male overall.
Related names
Sources
Gender by country: nam_dict, the c't first-names dictionary by Joerg Michael, roughly 44,000 names across 55 countries, licensed GFDL. US frequencies: United States Social Security Administration baby-name data, public domain. Method: how we classify names. Full dataset: data & licences. Data built 2026-09-11.
DearWho, "Is Merl a male or female name?", https://dearwho.vercel.app/name/merl (accessed 2026-09-11). Data: nam_dict (J. Michael, GFDL) and US SSA, built 2026-09-11.
BibTeX
@misc{dearwho_merl,
title = {Is Merl a male or female name?},
author = {{DearWho}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://dearwho.vercel.app/name/merl},
note = {Data: nam_dict (GFDL), US SSA public domain}
}