2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Merimee
A French surname derived from the Latin "marina" meaning near the sea.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Merimee. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Merimee 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Merimee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Merimee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.7%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Merimee
The surname MERIMEE originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "meryme," which meant "boundary" or "landmark." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near a boundary or landmark.
The earliest known record of the MERIMEE name dates back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. One of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in a medieval manuscript from 1278, which refers to a certain "Jehan Merymee" residing in the village of Rouen.
In the 15th century, the MERIMEE name appeared in various municipal records and tax rolls across northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy, Picardy, and Île-de-France. Some of the variations in spelling included "Merymee," "Merimé," and "Merimay."
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MERIMEE family gained prominence in the city of Dieppe, a major port town in Normandy. Several members of the family were involved in the maritime trade and held positions of importance in the local government.
One notable figure from this period was Jean-François-Léonor MERIMEE (1758-1836), a French playwright and writer who was born in Dieppe. He is best known for his comedic plays and satires, which were popular during the French Revolutionary era.
In the 19th century, Prosper MERIMEE (1803-1870) was a renowned French writer and historian. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the short story genre and is famous for works such as "Carmen" and "Mateo Falcone." Prosper MERIMEE also served as an inspector of historical monuments in France and played a significant role in the preservation of French cultural heritage.
Another notable MERIMEE was Henri MERIMEE (1828-1901), a French lawyer and politician who served as a member of the National Assembly during the Third Republic.
The MERIMEE name also spread beyond France, with some members of the family settling in other parts of Europe and the Americas. For instance, Paul MERIMEE (1853-1916) was a French-American architect who designed several notable buildings in San Francisco, including the Palace of Fine Arts.
Throughout its history, the surname MERIMEE has been associated with various professions, including writers, politicians, architects, and merchants. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in northern France, and it has since become a well-known name in various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Merimee
Among Census respondents with the surname Merimee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.7%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Merimee 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 Merimee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 93
- Two or more races8.7% · 9
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Merimee
Merimee appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 7,385 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 7,385 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 Merimee 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 | #160,975 | #153,590 | 4.6% |
| Count | 100 | 104 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Merimee bearers went from 100 to 104 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 7,385 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #153,590.
FAQ
Merimee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Merimee?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Merimee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Merimee?
Merimee ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Merimee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Merimee.
Has Merimee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Merimee went from 100 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 4 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Merimee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Merimee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.7%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Merimee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Merimee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Two or More Races (8.7%), Black (1.0%). 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 Merimee (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 Merimee mean?
A French surname derived from the Latin "marina" meaning near the sea. 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 Merimee (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Merimee?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.