girl's name
Myrtle
MUR-tul
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 137,070
Ireland
#542
1974 births
Myrtle means the evergreen shrub, and it was the plant of Aphrodite — carried by Greek and Roman brides long before the Victorians made it a name. It ranks 11658th, the lowest position in this group.
- Myrtle is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 4,094 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 414,422 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Myrtle over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 9,810 |
| 1890s | 17,786 |
| 1900s | 19,755 |
| 1910s | 32,549 |
| 1920s | 30,671 |
| 1930s | 14,224 |
| 1940s | 7,289 |
| 1950s | 3,106 |
| 1960s | 1,166 |
| 1970s | 356 |
| 1980s | 153 |
| 1990s | 62 |
| 2000s | 6 |
| 2010s | 31 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 20 |
What Myrtle means
Myrtle means the myrtle shrub. It is the ordinary English word for the plant, used unchanged as a name, so the meaning is exact rather than reconstructed.
Where Myrtle comes from
Myrtle is the English name of the evergreen shrub, from the Greek myrtos, and the word traveled through Latin and French before English fixed the spelling. The plant was sacred to Aphrodite and then Venus, and Greek and Roman brides wore myrtle wreaths — a practice Victoria revived when she carried myrtle in 1840, and every royal bride since has carried a sprig from the same bush at Osborne House. The name belongs to the Victorian botanical fashion alongside Ivy, Hazel, Olive and Fern.
Myrtle in use
Myrtle peaked in the United States in 1918, when 4,094 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 11658th in the United States on 8 births — the lowest ranking position in this group — across 137,070 lifetime births. Several of its 1918 cohort are reviving; Myrtle has not yet turned.
How popular is Myrtle?
In 2025, Myrtle was given to 8 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Myrtle is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Myrtle
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Myrtle also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Myrtle over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Myrtle
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Myrtle in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Myrtle
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Myrtle — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Myrtle
What does the name Myrtle mean?
The evergreen shrub — the ordinary English word, from the Greek myrtos.
Why do royal brides carry myrtle?
Victoria carried it in 1840, reviving a Greek and Roman bridal practice. Every royal bride since takes a sprig from the same bush.
Was myrtle sacred to anyone?
To Aphrodite, and then Venus.
How popular is Myrtle?
11658th in the United States, though our data marks it stable rather than falling.
Is Myrtle a girl's or a boy's name?
Myrtle is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Myrtle?
Myrtle has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Myrtle?
Myrtle is usually shortened to Myrt.
Is Myrtle a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Myrtle currently ranks #11,658 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.