Find out how popular the last name Mercer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mercer.

Mercer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mercer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mercer in America

Mercer is the 1016th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mercer surname appeared 34,431 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Mercer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mercer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mercer

The surname Mercer has its origins in the Old French word "mercier", which means a merchant or trader. It is an occupational surname that initially referred to someone who dealt in textiles or fabrics. The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages when the mercers were part of important trade guilds in medieval Europe.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Mercer can be found in England and France. In England, the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Walter le Mercer, who lived in Northamptonshire, England, in the 13th century. The surname was also prevalent in areas with thriving textile industries, such as Norfolk and Yorkshire.

During the Middle Ages, the mercers were highly respected members of society, often holding positions of importance within their guilds and local communities. They were responsible for importing and selling luxurious fabrics, such as silk, velvet, and brocade, which were highly prized by the nobility and wealthy classes.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Mercer was Thomas Mercer, a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1376 and was knighted by King Edward III for his services to the crown.

Another prominent individual with the Mercer surname was Hugh Mercer, a Scottish-born soldier and physician who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was a brigadier general in the Continental Army and was mortally wounded at the Battle of Princeton in 1777.

In Scotland, the Mercer surname can be traced back to the 16th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is John Mercer, who was appointed as the King's Principal Mercer in 1544 by King James V of Scotland.

The Mercer family also played a significant role in the colonization of America. In the 17th century, a branch of the family settled in Virginia, where they became influential landowners and politicians. One notable member was John Mercer, who was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and a prominent patriot during the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout history, the surname Mercer has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, soldiers, politicians, and landowners. Despite its occupational origins, the name has become widely dispersed and has been adopted by families across the globe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mercer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mercer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mercer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mercer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mercer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mercer, please contact us.

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