2000
#114,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Merila
A surname of Italian or Turkish origin potentially meaning "boundary" or "frontier".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Merila. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Merila 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Merila in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Merila, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Merila
The surname MERILA is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "merula," meaning "blackbird." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with dark hair or complexion.
In the 13th century, records show a family by the name of Merila residing in the region of Tuscany, specifically in the town of Siena. These early mentions of the name can be found in municipal archives and church registries from that era.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this surname was Giovanni Merila, a merchant who lived in Florence during the late 14th century. He is mentioned in various trade records and contracts from that time period.
Another notable figure was Beatrice Merila, a nun who lived in the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Siena during the 15th century. She is remembered for her contributions to the religious community and her work in transcribing manuscripts.
In the 16th century, the Merila family expanded their presence to other parts of Italy, with branches settling in cities like Milan and Rome. Marco Merila, born in 1523, was a prominent lawyer and jurist who served as a legal advisor to the Papal States.
During the Renaissance period, the name Merila was also associated with the arts. Antonio Merila, born in 1580 in Venice, was a renowned painter whose works can be found in several Italian galleries and churches.
As the centuries passed, the Merila surname continued to be found throughout various regions of Italy, with individuals from this lineage pursuing diverse professions and contributing to the cultural and historical fabric of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Merila
Among Census respondents with the surname Merila, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Merila 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 Merila surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 12
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Merila
Merila appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-37 bearers (-26.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 40,741 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+16 bearers (+15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,598 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,166 | 142 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -37 bearers (-26.1%) | Down 40,741 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.2%) | Up 13,598 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 Merila 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 | #154,907 | #141,309 | 8.8% |
| Count | 105 | 121 | 15.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Merila bearers went from 105 to 121 (+15.2% change). The surname moved up 13,598 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #141,309.
FAQ
Merila surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Merila?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Merila. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Merila?
Merila ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Merila. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Merila.
Has Merila become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Merila went from 105 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 16 (+15.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Merila?
Among Census respondents with the surname Merila, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Merila in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Merila appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Hispanic (9.9%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Merila (2000, 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 Merila mean?
A surname of Italian or Turkish origin potentially meaning "boundary" or "frontier". 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 Merila (0.04 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 have the surname Merila?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.