Meridian Bancorp will rebrand its nine Mt. Washington Bank branches under the East Boston Savings Bank name in an effort to unify its presence under a single name.

The holding company for East Boston Savings anticipates its branding initiative will be completed in the second quarter, President and CEO Richard J. Gavegnano said in a statement announcing the switch.

"This consolidation will elevate our position in the market as a strong stable community bank with a continued commitment to our existing customers as we plan to significantly increase our marketing and branding efforts throughout our market area and beyond," he said. "The time has come to leverage our brand to the fullest extent possible. It is clear that our future is best pursued under one name."

Since its acquisition in 2009, Mt. Washington Bank has been operating as a division of East Boston Savings Bank. Edward Merritt, president of the Mt. Washington Bank Division, said that the brand consolidation would not result in any branch closures or layoffs and that customers would be notified of the changes in the weeks ahead.