Myrtle

Did you know?

A few things about Myrtle you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Myrtle

Myrtle Cook

Canadian athletics competitor (1902-1985)

Choose Myrtle and your child shares a first name with Myrtle Cook, a Canadian athletics competitor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Myrtle, like who?” Myrtle Cook's Wikipedia article is available in 27 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Myrtle Cook on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 200,000 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Myrtle, 8 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Myrtle would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryMyrtle has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Myrtles, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1894, when it ranked #27. Today it's #10,917, so it could be due a comeback.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Myrtle means “myrtle shrub”. Our records link it to English and Greek roots.

About the name Myrtle

Myrtle is a girl name of English and Greek origin meaning “myrtle shrub”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with M and ending in “-tle”. US birth records list Myrtle for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 126 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1894, when it ranked #27 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #10,917, with 8 babies.

Origin:English namesGreek names