Meaning & Origin
A female given name from Scottish Gaelic, variant of Muriel.
Meryl is a girl's and boy's baby name of Scottish Gaelic origin, a variant of Muriel, from the Scottish Gaelic Muirgheal, composed of muir (sea) and geal (bright), meaning 'bright as the sea' or 'sea-bright.'
With over 5,100 recorded births, Meryl is most famously associated with Meryl Streep — widely regarded as the greatest living actress, with three Academy Awards and a career that has defined American cinema for over five decades. Before Streep, the name was a quiet variant of Muriel. After her, Meryl became synonymous with a particular kind of excellence — careful, committed, transformative artistry.