How Many People Are Named Mercedes?
An estimated 36,731 people in the United States have the first name Mercedes. It is predominantly female (99.2%). The average bearer is 33 years old, and Mercedes peaked in popularity in 1991 with 1,808 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Mercedes as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Mercedes paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Mercedes is overwhelmingly female, 369 male births have been registered with this name since 1880.
Estimated Living Americans
36,731
About 1 in 9,331 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Female
99.2% confidence
Average Age
33
years old
Peak Year
1991
1,808 births
Total Registered
46,421
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Mercedes
Mercedes is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 46,421 total births registered, 99.2% were female.
Mercedes as a male name
Ranked #9,605 in 2004
7 male births in 2004
Peak: 1988 (27 births)
Mercedes as a female name
Ranked #1,451 in 2024
151 female births in 2024
Peak: 1991 (1,798 births)
Mercedes in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 62,850 people with the first name Mercedes, which placed it at #783 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Mercedes was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 62,850 people with this name in that snapshot, 1.1% were male and 98.9% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 99.2% of the time.
Census Count
62,850
people with this name
Census Rank
#783
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
20.81
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Mercedes was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (66.06%). The next largest recorded groups were White (17.57%) and Black (10.08%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Mercedes in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Mercedes.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 66.06% | 41,512 |
| White | 17.57% | 11,042 |
| Black | 10.08% | 6,335 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 3.14% | 1,971 |
| Two or More Races | 2.55% | 1,603 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.60% | 380 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Mercedes: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Mercedes span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1990s, when 15,376 babies were registered. Mercedes has declined significantly from its peak in the 1990s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Mercedes by Decade
How has Mercedes tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 74 | 0 | 74 | |
| 1890s | 226 | 0 | 226 | |
| 1900s | 530 | 0 | 530 | |
| 1910s | 1,773 | 6 | 1,767 | |
| 1920s | 2,882 | 54 | 2,828 | |
| 1930s | 1,889 | 31 | 1,858 | |
| 1940s | 1,368 | 0 | 1,368 | |
| 1950s | 1,747 | 5 | 1,742 | |
| 1960s | 1,699 | 0 | 1,699 | |
| 1970s | 2,019 | 35 | 1,984 | |
| 1980s | 4,557 | 146 | 4,411 | |
| 1990s | 15,376 | 85 | 15,291 | |
| 2000s | 8,459 | 7 | 8,452 | |
| 2010s | 2,950 | 0 | 2,950 | |
| 2020s | 872 | 0 | 872 | |
Mercedes by State
Birth registrations for Mercedes span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, New York. The lowest are in Rhode Island, Delaware, Vermont. On average, about 796 Mercedess were registered per state.
Mercedes + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Mercedes as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Mercedes
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
Mercedes: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mercedes?
We estimate approximately 36,731 people named Mercedes are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 9,331 Americans share this first name.
Is Mercedes a common name?
Mercedes is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 98.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 46,421 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Mercedes most popular?
Mercedes reached peak popularity in 1991, when 1,808 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Mercedes is approximately 33 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Mercedes in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 62,850 people with the first name Mercedes. That placed it at #783 in the published Census first-name tables, or 20.81 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Mercedes was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Mercedes?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Mercedes was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 1.1% male and 98.9% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Mercedes?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Mercedes was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (66.06%). The next largest recorded groups were White (17.57%) and Black (10.08%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Mercedes a female name?
Mercedes is predominantly female. 99.2% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Mercedes have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Mercedes peaked in 1991, and the average living bearer is about 33 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Mercedes Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Mercedes Smith, Mercedes Johnson, Mercedes Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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