How Many People Are Named Myrle?

An estimated 355 people in the United States have the first name Myrle. It is used for both genders, with 77.4% female. The average bearer is 83 years old, and Myrle peaked in popularity in 1918 with 122 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Myrle 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 Myrle paired with any surname.

Key Insights

  • With an average bearer age of 83, Myrle is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1953.

Estimated Living Americans

355

About 1 in 965,505 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Very Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Female

77.4% confidence

Average Age

83

years old

Peak Year

1918

122 births

Total Registered

3,108

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Myrle

Myrle is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (22.6%) and females (77.4%). Out of 3,108 total births registered, 703 were male and 2,405 were female.

Male 703 (22.6%)
Female 2,405 (77.4%)

Myrle as a male name

Ranked #3,807 in 1966

6 male births in 1966

Peak: 1925 (31 births)

Myrle as a female name

Ranked #5,686 in 1962

7 female births in 1962

Peak: 1915 (98 births)

Myrle in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 676 people with the first name Myrle, which placed it at #16,607 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, Myrle was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 676 people with this name in that snapshot, 32.2% were male and 67.8% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 77.4% female.

Census Count

676

people with this name

Census Rank

#16,607

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.22

per 100,000 people

Male 218 (32.2%)
Female 458 (67.8%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Myrle was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (85.88%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (9.06%) and Two or More Races (2.08%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Myrle in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
85.88%
Black
9.06%
Hispanic
0.89%
Asian/Pacific Islander
1.04%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.04%
Two or More Races
2.08%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Myrle.

Group Share Count
White 85.88% 578
Black 9.06% 61
Two or More Races 2.08% 14
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.04% 7
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.04% 7
Hispanic 0.89% 6

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.

Myrle: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Myrle span from the 1880s to the 1960s, covering 9 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 898 babies were registered. Myrle has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.

Male
Female
0 24 49 73 98 122 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960

Myrle by Decade

How has Myrle 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 36 0 36
1890s 172 0 172
1900s 261 18 243
1910s 811 168 643
1920s 898 214 684
1930s 492 134 358
1940s 285 99 186
1950s 130 59 71
1960s 23 11 12

Myrle by State

Birth registrations for Myrle span all 17 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah. The lowest are in Tennessee, Kansas, Iowa. On average, about 26 Myrles were registered per state.

Myrle + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Myrle as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Myrle: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Myrle?

We estimate approximately 355 people named Myrle 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 965,505 Americans share this first name.

Is Myrle a common name?

Myrle is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 81% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 3,108 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Myrle most popular?

Myrle reached peak popularity in 1918, when 122 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Myrle is approximately 83 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Myrle in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 676 people with the first name Myrle. That placed it at #16,607 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.22 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 Myrle 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 Myrle?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Myrle was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 32.2% male and 67.8% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Myrle?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Myrle was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (85.88%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (9.06%) and Two or More Races (2.08%). 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 Myrle a female name?

Myrle is predominantly female. 77.4% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Myrle 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. Myrle peaked in 1918, and the average living bearer is about 83 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Myrle Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Myrle Smith, Myrle Johnson, Myrle 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.

Search for a full name combination