2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Merecki
A surname of Polish origin potentially derived from a nickname for someone small or short.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Merecki. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Merecki 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Merecki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Merecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Merecki
The surname "MERECKI" is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Polish word "merek," which means "mayor" or "city official." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have held positions of authority or administrative roles in their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "MERECKI" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Poloniae, a collection of Polish historical documents dating back to the 11th century. In this codex, there is a mention of a certain "Merecki de Krakow" who was a landowner in the region around Krakow, a major city in southern Poland.
The name "MERECKI" also appears in several other historical records, such as the Polish Annals, which chronicle the events and notable figures in Polish history. One notable individual bearing this surname was Jan Merecki, a Polish nobleman and military commander who lived in the 15th century. He played a significant role in the Polish-Teutonic War, leading forces against the Teutonic Knights.
Another prominent figure with the surname "MERECKI" was Katarzyna Merecki, a 16th-century Polish noblewoman and philanthropist. She was known for her charitable works and for establishing several schools and hospitals in various parts of Poland.
In the 18th century, there was a renowned Polish writer and philosopher named Ignacy Merecki, who made significant contributions to the Polish Enlightenment movement. His philosophical works explored themes of reason, individual liberty, and social reform.
During the 19th century, the "MERECKI" surname was associated with several notable academics and scholars. One such individual was Józef Merecki, a respected linguist and professor at the University of Warsaw, who published numerous works on the Polish language and its evolution.
It is worth noting that the name "MERECKI" has also been found in various forms and spellings throughout history, such as "Meretski," "Meretsky," and "Merecky." These variations likely reflect regional dialects and orthographic practices of different time periods and locations within Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Merecki
Among Census respondents with the surname Merecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Merecki 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 Merecki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 92
- Two or more races3.1% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Merecki
Merecki 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
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-15 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,196 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 9,196 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 Merecki 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 | #147,253 | #156,449 | -6.2% |
| Count | 112 | 97 | -13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Merecki bearers went from 112 to 97 (-13.4% change). The surname moved down 9,196 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #156,449.
FAQ
Merecki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Merecki?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Merecki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Merecki?
Merecki ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Merecki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Merecki.
Has Merecki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Merecki went from 112 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 15 (-13.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Merecki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Merecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Merecki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Merecki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Merecki (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 Merecki mean?
A surname of Polish origin potentially derived from a nickname for someone small or short. 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 Merecki (0.03 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 Merecki?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.