Merle

From French Merle.

Merle

1. A surname from French of French origin.
2. A male given name transferred from the surname.
   • 1968 May 3, Al Aronowitz, “New Country Twang Hits Town”, in Life Magazine, page 12:

     Merle Haggard is a name out of a morality play. And that's the kind of songs he sings.

English 19th-century bird name from merle (“blackbird”), possibly also a variant of Muriel, Merrill, etc.

Merle

1. A female given name from English.
   • 1887, Emily Frances Adeline Sergeant, Jacob's Wife, page 92:

     Her name was Merle, and to her name she always said she owed the fact that Gilbert Vanborough ever looked at her.

   • 1976, From These Hills, From These Valleys: Pennsylvania Writers' Collection, University of Pittsburgh Press, →ISBN, page 186:

     "I wish I had a name like Merle Oberon or Miriam Hopkins," Mary Agnes said dreamily as she scanned the display of Coming Attractions.

• Elmer, Lemer

Modern coinage, possibly from English Merle, associated with similar sounding names like Merili (“Muriel”) or Merilin (“Marilyn”).

Merle

1. a female given name

Originally a nickname or an occupational name from merle (“blackbird”).

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Merle ?

1. a surname

• mêler

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛrlə/, [ˈmɛʁ.lə], [ˈmɛɐ̯.lə]

From Middle High German merle, from Old High German merla, from Proto-West Germanic *merlā (“blackbird”). Doublet of Amsel (“blackbird”).

Merle f (genitive Merle, plural Merlen)

1. (now chiefly dialectal) blackbird

   Synonyms: Amsel, Schwarzdrossel

   • 1844, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, “Die Nadel im Baume”, in Gedichte, Stuttgart, page 221:

     Eine schlanke schmächtige Erle,
     Da saßen wir oft in wachendem Traum
     Und horchten dem Schlage der Merle;
     Die hatte ihr struppiges Nest gebaut
     Grad in der schwankenden Krone[.]

     A slim and slender alder,
     There we often sat in waking dream
     And listened to the blackbird’s cry;
     She had built her scrubby nest
     Right in the swaying top[.]

Borrowed from English Merle with a spelling pronunciation (likely reinforced by etymology 1 above).

Merle f (proper noun, genitive Merles or (with an article) Merle)

1. a female given name of modern usage