2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Merai
A surname meaning "one from the village of Merai".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Merai. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Merai surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Merai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Merai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.2%. The next largest groups are White (12.4%) and Black (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Merai
The surname Merai is believed to have originated in the northern regions of India, specifically in the states of Punjab and Haryana. Its roots can be traced back to the 16th century or even earlier. The name Merai is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "meru," which means "high or elevated," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived in hilly or mountainous areas.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Merai can be found in the Mughal Empire's official registers, known as the "Ain-i-Akbari," compiled during the reign of Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century. This document contains references to individuals bearing the name Merai, indicating their presence in the region at that time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Merai surname appeared in various administrative records and manuscripts maintained by local rulers and officials in northern India. These records often documented land ownership, tax records, and other official matters, providing insight into the social and economic status of families bearing this surname.
One notable individual with the surname Merai was Sardar Bahadur Merai Singh, a prominent landowner and military leader from Punjab who lived in the late 18th century. He played a significant role in the region's affairs during the tumultuous period of the decline of the Mughal Empire and the rise of the Sikh Empire.
Another historical figure was Rai Bahadur Merai Chand, a renowned businessman and philanthropist from Haryana who lived in the 19th century. He contributed significantly to the development of educational institutions and social welfare initiatives in his local community.
In the early 20th century, Dr. Merai Lal Gupta, a distinguished physician and medical researcher, made significant contributions to the field of tropical medicine. He was born in 1892 in Punjab and dedicated his life to studying and treating tropical diseases that plagued many parts of India.
The surname Merai has also been associated with various place names in northern India, such as Merai Village in Punjab and Merai Tanda in Haryana. These place names may have been derived from the surname itself or vice versa, reflecting the deep-rooted connection between the name and the region.
While the surname Merai is not as common as some other Indian surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Merai
Among Census respondents with the surname Merai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.2%. The next largest groups are White (12.4%) and Black (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Merai bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Merai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander75.2% · 79
- White12.4% · 13
- Black or African American5.7% · 6
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Merai
Merai appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 5,443 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Merai surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #158,432 | #152,989 | 3.4% |
| Count | 102 | 105 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Merai bearers went from 102 to 105 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 5,443 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,989.
FAQ
Merai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Merai?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Merai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Merai?
Merai ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Merai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Merai.
Has Merai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Merai went from 102 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Merai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Merai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.2%. The next largest groups are White (12.4%) and Black (5.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Merai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.2% (79 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Merai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (75.2%), White (12.4%), Black (5.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Merai (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Merai mean?
A surname meaning "one from the village of Merai". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Merai (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Merai?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.