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

Merenda, 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 Merenda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merenda in America

Merenda is the 28704th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merenda surname appeared 830 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 Merenda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merenda 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 Merenda

The surname Merenda originated in Italy during the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "merenda," which means a light afternoon meal or snack. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who prepared or sold such snacks, or perhaps a family that was known for their culinary skills in this area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Merenda can be found in documents from the city of Genoa, dating back to the 14th century. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Merenda" or "Merende," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

In the 15th century, the Merenda family appeared to have established a presence in the region of Piedmont, particularly in the city of Turin. Several historical records from this period mention individuals with the surname, including a merchant named Giovanni Merenda, who was active in the local trade guilds around 1470.

The Merenda name also made its way to other parts of Italy, such as the regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Giulio Merenda (1530-1607) from Bologna was a renowned jurist and legal scholar, whose works on Roman law were widely studied and cited.

As the centuries progressed, the Merenda family continued to contribute to various fields. In the 18th century, Francesco Merenda (1723-1789) was a respected architect from Naples who designed several prominent buildings and churches in the city.

Another notable individual with this surname was Domenico Merenda (1811-1879), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Sardinian Parliament during the period of Italian unification.

While the Merenda name has its roots firmly planted in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora. However, the historical records and examples mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich heritage and origins of this surname, which can be traced back to the late medieval period in Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merenda

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

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

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

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