The baby name Meriel is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced MER-ee-əl (IPA: /ˈmɛriəl/).
Meriel is Celtic in Origin.
The baby name Meriel is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced MER-ee-əl (IPA: /ˈmɛriəl/).
Meriel is Celtic in Origin.
Meriel is an English form of the medieval Gaelic feminine name Muireall (from Old Gaelic Muirgheal), built from muir "sea" and geal "bright, fair," hence "sea-bright." As the name moved into Middle English, it commonly appeared as Muriel; Meriel developed as a later English spelling that keeps the lilting -iel ending and a lighter look.
Documented in Scotland and northern England from the Middle Ages, the name declined after the Reformation and enjoyed a genteel revival during the late 19th- and early 20th-century Celtic renaissance, remaining uncommon but familiar in Britain and rarer elsewhere. Variants and related forms include Muriel (standard medieval English), Muireall/Muirgheal (Gaelic), Merial and Merriel (English spellings), Murielle (French), Meryl (a modern contraction influenced by Muriel and Mary), and Mariel (often treated as a cognate or blended form). Diminutives such as Meri and Merry occur.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Girls | 1965 | #1 | — | 378 |
| OM | 0 | #121 | 1 | 6,215 | |
| NA | Girls | 0 | #237 | 1 | 7,146 |
| JP | Girls | 0 | #251 | 1 | 6,592 |
| MO | Girls | 0 | #263 | 1 | 7,056 |
| SG | 0 | #282 | 1 | 11,010 | |
| QA | Girls | 0 | #342 | 2 | 15,378 |
| MU | Girls | 0 | #362 | 1 | 8,539 |
| PH | Girls | 0 | #425 | 5 | 13,098 |
| MX | 0 | #445 | 1 | 8,339 | |
| ZA | 0 | #474 | 1 | 14,421 | |
| PA | Boys | 0 | #505 | 1 | 9,305 |
| CO | 0 | #510 | 1 | 7,768 | |
| PA | Girls | 0 | #518 | 1 | 9,861 |
| PS | Girls | 0 | #541 | 7 | 10,981 |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #556 | 6 | 19,177 |
| LY | 0 | #559 | 1 | 12,703 | |
| CM | Girls | 0 | #560 | 1 | 11,671 |
| BH | 0 | #586 | 2 | 17,937 | |
| AR | Girls | 0 | #629 | 2 | 8,289 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #632 | 1 | 18,916 |
| IL | Girls | 0 | #638 | 8 | 11,648 |
| HK | Girls | 0 | #650 | 1 | 16,104 |
| Finland | Girls | 2026 | #729 | 10 | 3,895 |
| SY | 0 | #767 | 1 | 11,684 | |
| KW | Boys | 0 | #806 | 1 | 18,755 |
| TN | 0 | #863 | 3 | 13,765 | |
| CL | Girls | 0 | #914 | 2 | 14,098 |
| United States | Girls | 2014 | #920 | 13 | 9,590 |
| NL | Girls | 0 | #946 | 10 | 5,933 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,008 | 7 | 25,931 |
| PE | Girls | 0 | #1,009 | 2 | 14,861 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #1,071 | 2 | 24,821 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,143 | 1 | 22,615 |
| CO | Girls | 0 | #1,149 | 4 | 16,140 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,181 | 2 | 25,439 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,229 | 8 | 25,928 |
| DZ | 0 | #1,230 | 5 | 20,130 | |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #1,264 | 4 | 17,781 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,272 | 1 | 25,619 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,691 | 1 | 28,008 |
Meriel is popular in 31 countries — most recent births per country:
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