Save Gender Feminine Usage English (Modern) Pronounced Pron. MUR-LEE-AH [key] Other Forms FormsMerlia, Merleah Meaning & History A combination of the prefix ‘mer’ and the suffix ‘lia’. This name was used in the movie “Barbie in a Mermaid Tale” where Barbie plays Merliah Summers, a surfing teenager who is half mermaid and half human.