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

Meredith, 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 Meredith surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meredith in America

Meredith is the 1445th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meredith surname appeared 24,679 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Meredith.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meredith 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 Meredith

The surname Meredith has its origins in Wales, deriving from the Old Welsh words "mer" meaning "mariner" or "sea protector" and "iddyn" meaning "estate" or "land". It was initially a place name referring to a coastal estate or property.

The name can be traced back to the 12th century, with early records showing variations such as Meredith, Meredyth, and Merideth. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Pipe Rolls of Herefordshire in 1195, mentioning a Richard de Merieth.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Liber Feodorum, a record of feudal landholdings, with references to individuals bearing the name Meredith in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Meredith, as it primarily covered areas of England at that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Meredith include Sir William Meredith (c. 1328-1395), a Welsh knight and landowner who served in the military campaigns of Edward III and Richard II. Another prominent figure was George Meredith (1828-1909), an English novelist and poet widely regarded as one of the great Victorian-era writers.

Other historically significant individuals with the Meredith surname include Sir William Meredith (c. 1604-1679), a Welsh politician and judge who served as the Chief Justice of Chester, and Richard Meredith (1754-1815), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 14th United States Secretary of the Treasury.

In the realm of the arts, George Meredith (1796-1860), an English painter and engraver, and George Frampton Meredith (1839-1909), an English sculptor known for his works depicting Queen Victoria and other notable figures, both carried the Meredith surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meredith

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

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

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

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