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Mercy

Girl name · 6 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Mercy: 6 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 3 births in 2009.

From the Latin *merces*, meaning "reward" or "pity", Mercy entered English as a virtue name, especially prized by Puritan families seeking to embody divine grace. One of its most notable bearers was Mercy Otis Warren (1728–1814), an American poet, playwright, and patriot who argued fiercely for independence. The name also resonates through literature, most famously in Shakespeare’s *The Merchant of Venice*, where Portia’s speech on “the quality of mercy” remains iconic. Though less common in Scotland than in early America, Mercy shares its roots with the surname Mercer, originally a trader in costly fabrics. Today it offers a soft yet steely choice for parents drawn to names with moral weight