Merrily

Meaning of Merrily

Merrily is a feminine English given name derived from the adverb meaning “cheerfully” or “with joy,” tracing back to Old English myrige. Pronounced MER-uh-lee (/ˈmɛrəli/), it evokes an upbeat spirit that saw modest use in mid-20th-century New York—ranking 219th in 1942 with 25 newborns and appearing intermittently through the late 1940s. Though it has since slipped from mainstream charts, Merrily offers a lyrical complement to Latin-rooted names such as Lucia or Paloma, bridging Anglo etymology with Romance flair. Its cultural footprint extends from traditional nursery rhymes to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, lending the name literary resonance alongside its cheerful connotation.