Merle (given name)

Merle is a given name used by both men and women, from the English word merle or the French surname Merle,^[1] which both meaning blackbird (from the Latin merula).^[1] Related names are Merrill or Muriel.

Merle

Pronunciation	US: /ˈmɜːrl/ UK: /ˈmɜːl/
Gender	Unisex
Language(s)	English
Origin
Language(s)	1. Latin 2. French 3. English
Word/name	From the English word merle or the French surname Merle
Derivation	Latin: merula
Meaning	"Blackbird"
Region of origin	France and England
Other names
Variant form(s)	Merl
Related names	Merrill, Muriel
[1]

People

Female

• Merle Barwis (1900–2014), American-Canadian supercentenarian
• Merle van Benthem (born 1992), Dutch cyclist
• Merle Chambers (born 1946), American business executive
• Merle Collins (born 1950), Grenadian poet and writer
• Merle Dandridge (born 1975), American actress and singer
• Merle Egan Anderson (c. 1888–1984), American military servicewoman
• Merle Feld (1947), American author, playwright, poet and activist
• Merle S. Goldberg (1936–1998), American journalist and abortion rights activist
• Merle Goldman (1931–2023), American historian
• Merle Greene Robertson (1913–2011), American artist, art historian and archaeologist
• Merle Greenwood (1900-1990), Australian-born New Zealand architect
• Merle Henderson (born 1990), Scottish medical doctor and researcher
• Merle Hodge (born 1944), Trinidadian novelist
• Merle Hoffman (born 1946), American journalist and activist
• Merle Jääger (born 1965), Estonian actress and poet
• Merle Karusoo (born 1944), Estonian stage director and writer
• Merle Keagle (1923–1960), American baseball player
• Merle G. Kearns (1938–2014), American politician
• Merle Kivimets (born 1974), Estonian track and field athlete
• Merle Krigul (born 1954), Estonian philologist and politician
• Merle Liivand (born 1991), Estonian swimmer and environmental activist
• Merle Louise (1934–2025), American Broadway actress
• Merle Oberon (1911–1979), Indo-English actress
• Merle Palmiste (born 1970), Estonian actress
• Merle Park (born 1937), British prima ballerina
• Merle Parts (born 1967), Estonian judge
• Merle Richardson (born 1930), Australian lawn bowls player
• Merle Soppela (born 1991), Finnish alpine ski racer
• Merle Talvik (born 1954), Estonian actress
• Merle Temkin (born 1937), American artist
• Merle Tottenham (1901–1958), English film actress
• Merle Viirmaa (born 1974), Estonian biathlete
• Merle Woo (born 1941), American academic and activist

Male

• Merle Allin (born 1953), American punk rock musician
• Merle Anthony (1926–1993), American baseball umpire
• Merle Battiste (1933–2009), American chemist
• Merle Bettenhausen (born 1943), American race car driver
• Merle Boucher (born 1946), American politician
• Merle Boyer (1920–2009), American jewelry designer
• Merle Curti (1897–1997), American historian and Pulitzer Prize winner
• Merle Dickerson (1911/12–1984), Canadian politician
• Merle Evans (1891–1987), American cornet player and circus bandleader
• Merle Fainsod (1907–1972), American political scientist
• Merle Flowers (born 1968), American politician
• Merle Gulick (1906–1976), American football player
• Merle Haggard (1937–2016), American country-western musician
• Merle Hansen (1919–2009), American farm activist
• Merle Harmon (1926–2009), American sportscaster
• Merle Hay (1896–1917), American Army soldier, first American soldier killed in World War I
• Merle J. Isaac (1898–1996), American composer
• Merle Kilgore (1934–2005), American singer, songwriter and manager
• Merle Lawrence (1915–2007), American physiologist
• Merle Randall (1888–1950), American physical chemist
• Merle Robbins (c. 1912–1984), businessman, inventor of the card game UNO
• Merle Sande (1939–2007), American physician
• Merle Schlosser (1923–1993), American football player and coach
• Merle Settlemire (1903–1988), American baseball player
• Merle Shain (1935–1989), Canadian author and journalist
• Merle Taylor (1927–1987), American bluegrass musician
• Merle Travis (1917–1983), American country music singer
• Merle Tuve (1901–1982), American geophysicist
• Merle Watson (1945–1985), American folk musician
• Merle Leland Youngs (1886–1958), American businessman

Fictional characters

• Merle Dixon, in AMC's TV series The Walking Dead
• Merle, a character in The Vision of Escaflowne, a 1996 anime series
• Merle Hitower Highchurch, in the Maximum Fun podcast The Adventure Zone
• Merle Johnson, in The Godfather Part II
• Merle Tucker, father of Cameron Tucker in Modern Family
• Merle, a character in Paper Mario