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

Merchan, 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 Merchan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merchan in America

Merchan is the 24593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merchan surname appeared 1,016 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Merchan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merchan 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 Merchan

The surname "MERCHAN" is of Spanish origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Castile and Aragon, which were major centers of trade and commerce during that time.

The name is derived from the Spanish word "mercader," which means "merchant" or "trader." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in mercantile activities, dealing in the exchange of goods and services across different regions.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Juan Merchan was recorded as a prominent merchant in the city of Seville. His name appears in several historical documents related to trade transactions and business dealings within the city's thriving commercial hub.

One of the earliest known records of the surname can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document from the 13th century that documented the distribution of land and properties among the Christian settlers in the city after its reconquest from the Moors.

During the 15th century, a family named Merchan gained prominence in the city of Toledo. Antonio Merchan, born in 1428, was a wealthy merchant and landowner who held significant influence in the city's affairs. His descendants continued to play influential roles in Toledo's economic and political spheres for several generations.

In the 16th century, Hernán Merchan de Vallodolid, born in 1512, was a renowned navigator and explorer. He participated in several expeditions to the Americas, contributing to the exploration and mapping of the New World.

Another notable figure was Alonso Merchan de Peñalosa, born in 1585, who served as a military commander during the Spanish conquest of the Philippines. His bravery and leadership earned him recognition and titles from the Spanish crown.

In the 18th century, Maria Merchan y Mendoza, born in 1712, was a renowned writer and poet from Seville. Her literary works, which explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality, garnered widespread acclaim during her lifetime.

The surname "MERCHAN" has also been associated with various place names throughout Spain, such as Merchan de la Sierra in the province of Sevilla, and Merchan in the province of Zaragoza, further reinforcing its connection to the country's history and geography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merchan

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

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 Merchan 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 Merchan 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 Merchan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!