NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Merab

A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "she has multiplied".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Merab is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Merab popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1603, with 19 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 22 births.

This profile covers 79 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 2008 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 86% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 79 living people in the UK are called Merab. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Merab ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 19 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 22 girls were registered as Merab.
  • About 79 living people in the UK are estimated to have Merab as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1603

2024

Births in 2024

19

Latest year

Peak year

2023

22 births

Estimated living

79

2026

Meaning

What does Merab mean?

The name Merab has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew root word "rav," meaning "great" or "multiplying." The name is believed to have been first used in the Old Testament of the Bible, where it appears as the name of one of King Saul's daughters.

In the Book of Samuel, Merab is mentioned as the elder daughter of King Saul, who was initially promised to David as a wife for his valor in battle against the Philistines. However, Saul later went back on his word and gave Merab to another man named Adriel the Meholathite. This biblical account is one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Merab.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Merab. One of the earliest recorded was Merab, the daughter of King Saul, who lived in the 11th century BCE. Another historical figure with this name was Merab, a 13th-century Persian princess and the daughter of Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw II of the Seljuk Empire.

In more recent times, Merab Mamardashvili (1930-1990) was a prominent Georgian philosopher and public intellectual who made significant contributions to the field of phenomenology. Merab Kostava (1939-1989) was a Georgian politician and dissident who played a crucial role in the struggle for independence from the Soviet Union.

Merab Ninidze (born 1965) is a Georgian actor and film director, known for his roles in various international productions, including "Quo Vadis" and "Bridge of Spies." Merab Dvalishvili (born 1991) is a Georgian-American mixed martial artist currently competing in the UFC's bantamweight division.

It is worth noting that while the name Merab has Hebrew origins, it has also gained popularity in certain regions, particularly in the country of Georgia, where it has become a common name for both males and females.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Merab over time

The chart below shows babies named Merab registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Merab, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 19 births in 2024, compared with 22 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Merab
06111722200820162024

Decades

Merab by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Merab was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #2704 64 5
2010s #4714 8 2
2000s #5040 7 2

Related

Names similar to Merab

FAQ

Merab: questions and answers

How popular is the name Merab in the UK right now?

In 2024, Merab was ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales, with 19 births registered.

When was Merab most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 22 babies registered as Merab in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Merab?

A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "she has multiplied".

How many people are called Merab in the UK?

A total of 79 babies have been registered as Merab across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.