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

Meridy, 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 Meridy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meridy in America

Meridy is the 109258th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meridy surname appeared 162 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 Meridy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meridy 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 Meridy

The surname Meridy has its origins in France, with the earliest known references dating back to the late 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old French word "meride," which means "midday" or "noon." This connection suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive term for someone who lived or worked around midday.

In the 13th century, several records mention individuals with the surname Meridy living in the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas around Paris and Normandy. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in a land registry from 1246, where a farmer named Jacques Meridy is listed as owning a small plot of land near the village of Montargis.

The Meridy name gained more prominence during the 14th and 15th centuries, with several members of the family holding notable positions. In 1387, a document from the court of King Charles VI mentions a nobleman named Étienne Meridy, who served as a royal advisor. Another notable figure was Marguerite Meridy, a wealthy merchant from Rouen, who was recorded in a trade register from 1462.

As the name spread throughout France, it also adopted various spellings, such as Meridi, Meridie, and Meridey. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the French place names where the family resided, like the town of Méridé in the Île-de-France region.

One of the most famous bearers of the Meridy name was Jean-Baptiste Meridy, a renowned philosopher and writer born in 1638 in Lyon. His works on ethics and social theory were widely read and influential during the Enlightenment period. Another notable figure was Marie-Jeanne Meridy (1712-1798), a celebrated actress who performed at the Comédie-Française in Paris during the 18th century.

Other individuals with the Meridy surname include François Meridy (1605-1672), a prominent lawyer and judge in Paris; Pierre Meridy (1781-1854), a general in Napoleon's army who fought in several major battles; and Émilie Meridy (1825-1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in France.

While the surname Meridy is not among the most common in France today, it remains an integral part of the country's rich cultural and historical tapestry, with its origins deeply rooted in the medieval era and its legacy spanning various fields of endeavor.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meridy

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

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

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

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