Merle is a given name used by both men and women, from the French word merle meaning blackbird (from the Latin merula).. Related names are Merrill or Muriel.
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 (born 1931), American historian
Merle Greene Robertson (1913–2011), American artist, art historian and archaeologist Merle Greenwood (1900-1990), Australian-born New Zealand architect 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 Louise (born 1934), American Broadway actress Merle Oberon (1911–1979), Indo-English actress Merle Palmiste (born 1970), Estonian actress Merle Park (born 1937), British prima ballerina 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 (born 1926), 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