Mercy
Mercy is a girls' name of English origin meaning “compassion, clemency.” It ranked #867 in the United States in 2025. A Puritan virtue name derived from Latin 'merces' via Old French 'merci,' meaning reward or pity.
how do you pronounce Mercy?
MER-see
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Mercy mean?
The name Mercy means “compassion, clemency.” It comes from the English language tradition.
A Puritan virtue name derived from Latin 'merces' via Old French 'merci,' meaning reward or pity. The Puritans favored such abstract virtue names, and Mercy is experiencing a revival alongside Grace and Faith.
where does the name Mercy come from?
Wiktionary confirms Mercy as an English virtue name derived from the common word mercy, noting it entered use in the 17th century as one of the less common Puritan virtue names; in modern use it can also anglicize the Spanish name Mercedes. The specific Latin merces via Old French merci derivation given elsewhere is not spelled out in the source retrieved, though it isn't contradicted either.
the history of Mercy
Wikipedia's list of notable Mercys includes Mercy Lewis, one of the accusers in the Salem Witch Trials, alongside modern bearers such as Chifundo 'Mercy' James, daughter of Madonna, and Mercy Isbell, daughter of musicians Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #867 |
| 2024 | #847 |
| 2023 | #834 |
| 2022 | #797 |
| 2021 | #781 |
| 2020 | #801 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Mercy?
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Mercy?
- Mercy Otis Warren (American Revolution patriot)
- Mercy Thompson (fictional character by Patricia Briggs)
- Mercy (David Crowder Band song)
what names are similar to Mercy?
what names go well with Mercy?
Sibling names that share Mercy's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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