Meaning: Its source is Muriel, an English name meaning "Sparkling sea."

Alternative Spellings: Meril, Merrell, Merril and Meryl

Variant Forms: Meriel

Non-English Forms: Merri

Popularity: The name Merrill ranked 726th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Meaning: Its source is Muriel, an English name meaning "Sparkling sea."

Popularity: The name Merrill ranked 3304th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: Historically, this has been a surname, and its derivation is not in doubt. In modern times, it has enjoyed a reflection of the popularity of the sound-alike name Meryl, whose derivation, in contrast, is far from certain.

Meryl could be a fancy re-spelling of Merrill, but some authorities insist that their similarity is an accident, and the latter is a modern invention, modeled on the popular girl's name Cheryl.