2000
#10,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,653
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Merced
Of Spanish origin, referring to one who was merciful or compassionate, or from a place called Merced.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,952 Americans carry the last name Merced. That puts it at #9,112 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,729 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Merced 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
4.0K
1 in 86,729
Census rank
#9,112
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,446 bearers of the surname Merced in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9112th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Merced, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.0%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Merced
The surname Merced has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "merced," which means "mercy" or "grace." The name is thought to have been initially bestowed upon individuals who displayed exceptional kindness, generosity, or compassion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Merced can be found in the Libro de las Behetrías, a medieval document compiled in the 14th century that recorded the names of landowners and their properties in Castile, Spain. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time.
In the 15th century, the surname Merced appears in various historical records, such as the Padrón de Cuenca, a census-like document from the city of Cuenca, Spain. This indicates that individuals bearing the name were present in different regions of the country.
The surname Merced is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Juan de Merced, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Another notable bearer of the name was María de Merced, a Spanish nun and mystic who lived in the 17th century and was known for her spiritual writings.
In the 18th century, the surname Merced gained prominence in the Americas, as Spanish colonists and settlers brought the name with them to the New World. One prominent figure from this era was Gaspar de la Merced, a Spanish missionary and explorer who traveled extensively throughout California and the American Southwest in the late 1700s.
During the 19th century, the surname Merced was found in various parts of Latin America, particularly in Mexico and Central America. One notable individual was Manuel Merced, a Mexican military officer and politician who played a role in the Mexican-American War and later served as the governor of Baja California in the 1860s.
Throughout history, the surname Merced has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including religious figures, military leaders, explorers, and politicians. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, it has since spread across the globe, carried by those who bear it as a testament to their heritage and the values it represents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Merced
Among Census respondents with the surname Merced, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.0%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Merced 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 Merced surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.0% · 2,929
- White7.3% · 251
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.2% · 180
- Black or African American2.1% · 73
- Two or more races0.3% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Merced
Merced appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,233
+580 bearers (+21.9%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 1,020 places
2020
#9,112
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,446
+213 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 866 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,998 | 2,653 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,978 | 3,233 | 1.10 | +580 bearers (+21.9%) | Up 1,020 places |
| 2020 | #9,112 | 3,446 | 1.15 | +213 bearers (+6.6%) | Up 866 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 Merced 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 | #9,978 | #9,112 | 8.7% |
| Count | 3,233 | 3,446 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 1.15 | 4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Merced bearers went from 3,233 to 3,446 (+6.6% change). The surname moved up 866 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,978 to #9,112.
FAQ
Merced surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Merced?
Name Census estimates that about 3,952 living Americans carry the surname Merced. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,729 residents.
How common is Merced?
Merced ranks #9,112 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,446 people with the surname Merced. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,952), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Merced.
Has Merced become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Merced went from 3,233 recorded bearers to 3,446. That is an increase of 213 (+6.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,978 to #9,112.
What does the Census say about the background of Merced?
Among Census respondents with the surname Merced, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.0%. The next largest groups are White (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Merced in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (2,929 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Merced appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.0%), White (7.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%). 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 Merced (2000, 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 Merced mean?
Of Spanish origin, referring to one who was merciful or compassionate, or from a place called Merced. 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 Merced (1.15 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 have the surname Merced?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.