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

Mérida, 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 Mérida surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mérida in America

Mérida is the 7536th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mérida surname appeared 4,411 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Mérida.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mérida 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 Mérida

The surname Merida is of Spanish origin and dates back to the 15th century. It is derived from the name of the city of Merida, which is located in the western Spanish region of Extremadura. The city's name itself can be traced back to the Latin word 'Emerita', meaning 'the emeritus' or 'the veteran'.

Merida was an important Roman settlement, founded in 25 BC as a colony for retired soldiers. It was known as Emerita Augusta during the Roman era. The city's historical significance and the presence of the surname in this area suggest that the name may have originated from a person or family who lived in or had connections to the city of Merida.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Merida can be found in the Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a 14th-century document that recorded the ownership of land in the Kingdom of Castile. The document mentions the name "Juan Merida" as a landowner in the region.

Another notable historical figure with the surname Merida was Pedro de Merida (c. 1500-1565), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Guatemala. He was one of the first Europeans to explore and settle in the region.

In the 17th century, Juan de Merida (1617-1685) was a Spanish painter and sculptor who worked in Seville. His works can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.

Later, in the 18th century, José de Merida (1722-1798) was a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish Royal Navy. He participated in several naval battles during the American Revolutionary War and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General.

Another notable figure with the surname Merida was Manuel Merida (1808-1880), a Mexican lawyer and politician who served as the Governor of the state of Yucatan in the mid-19th century.

While the surname Merida is most prevalent in Spain and Latin American countries with Spanish heritage, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the name's roots can be traced back to the historic city of Merida in western Spain, where it is believed to have originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mérida

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mérida, 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!