Merit

Merit is an English given name derived from the Latin word meritum, meaning deserved reward or worthiness, itself from the verb merere, to earn or deserve. The name carries strong moral connotations and was occasionally adopted in Puritan and Protestant communities that favored virtue names. It also has roots in ancient Egyptian usage, where Merit or Meret was a goddess associated with music and rejoicing, giving the name an independent lineage in that tradition. Related forms include Merita and the Scandinavian Merit, which developed partly as a variant of Margaret.