Every name given to a US baby since 1880, ranked year by year — straight from Social Security Administration birth records. 105,966 names · 375,362,447 births · public domain.

Merton

#1,944 most common boys' name of all time · #4,687 across all names · 100% male / 0% female · used 1880–1995

Rank among boys
#1,944
Rank overall
#4,687 of 105,966
First appeared
1880 or earlier
Years on the list
105 of 146
All-time
4,247
Since 2016
0
Peak year
1920 #493
Best rank
#333 1880
Girls Boys peak 150/yr
188019001920194019601980

Merton is in the records from the very first year available, so it was almost certainly in use before 1880 — the data simply doesn't go back further.

Year by year

YearGirlsBoysTotalRank
1995 — 5 5 #8,882
1993 — 5 5 #8,722
1988 — 8 8 #5,221
1985 — 5 5 #6,560
1983 — 5 5 #6,266
1980 — 9 9 #4,146
1979 — 8 8 #4,413
1978 — 8 8 #4,168
1977 — 10 10 #3,614
1976 — 7 7 #4,434
1974 — 11 11 #3,132
1973 — 10 10 #3,235
1972 — 8 8 #3,635
1971 — 9 9 #3,386
1970 — 13 13 #2,624
1969 — 8 8 #3,323
1968 — 14 14 #2,212
1967 — 15 15 #2,038
1966 — 12 12 #2,335
1965 — 9 9 #2,792
1964 — 18 18 #1,906
1963 — 14 14 #2,205
1962 — 12 12 #2,375
1961 — 17 17 #1,999
1960 — 16 16 #2,049
1959 — 24 24 #1,623
1958 — 11 11 #2,510
1957 — 21 21 #1,752
1956 — 27 27 #1,512
1955 — 20 20 #1,730
1954 — 23 23 #1,595
1953 — 22 22 #1,635
1952 — 28 28 #1,432
1951 — 32 32 #1,298
1950 — 31 31 #1,291
1949 — 32 32 #1,276
1948 — 32 32 #1,283
1947 — 44 44 #1,096
1946 — 35 35 #1,176
1945 — 30 30 #1,206
1944 — 41 41 #1,019
1943 — 55 55 #898
1942 — 53 53 #911
1941 — 61 61 #808
1940 — 45 45 #953
1939 — 43 43 #955
1938 — 61 61 #785
1937 — 75 75 #693
1936 — 62 62 #774
1935 — 79 79 #670
1934 — 79 79 #684
1933 — 83 83 #635
1932 — 90 90 #627
1931 — 76 76 #689
1930 — 113 113 #564
1929 — 106 106 #581
1928 — 124 124 #546
1927 — 134 134 #528
1926 — 115 115 #574
1925 — 141 141 #513
1924 — 132 132 #548
1923 — 141 141 #511
1922 — 129 129 #558
1921 — 139 139 #528
1920 — 150 150 #493
1919 — 104 104 #587
1918 — 137 137 #513
1917 — 116 116 #541
1916 — 117 117 #528
1915 — 105 105 #545
1914 — 77 77 #572
1913 — 56 56 #586
1912 — 60 60 #508
1911 — 33 33 #517
1910 — 16 16 #759
1909 — 20 20 #596
1908 — 26 26 #492
1907 — 21 21 #517
1906 — 8 8 #943
1905 — 16 16 #595
1904 — 10 10 #768
1903 — 8 8 #855
1902 — 17 17 #525
1901 — 13 13 #568
1900 — 6 6 #1,180
1899 — 6 6 #951
1898 — 11 11 #667
1897 — 14 14 #558
1896 — 17 17 #504
1895 — 12 12 #616
1894 — 15 15 #526
1893 — 14 14 #514
1892 — 19 19 #448
1891 — 12 12 #531
1890 — 8 8 #754
1889 — 7 7 #807
1888 — 11 11 #617
1887 — 15 15 #439
1886 — 10 10 #607
1885 — 12 12 #553
1884 — 16 16 #471
1883 — 23 23 #349
1882 — 20 20 #401
1881 — 17 17 #416
1880 — 27 27 #333