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

Merito, 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 Merito surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merito in America

Merito is the 138304th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merito surname appeared 121 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 Merito.

The history of the last name Merito

The surname Merito has its origins in Italy, where it first emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "merito," which means merit or deserving. This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were held in high esteem or had achieved notable accomplishments.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Merito can be found in the historical records of the city of Florence, where a merchant named Giovanni Merito was mentioned in a document dated 1382. This document detailed a trade transaction involving the export of Florentine textiles to other regions of Italy and beyond.

Another early reference to the name appears in a legal document from the city of Siena, dated 1427. In this document, a landowner named Matteo Merito was involved in a dispute over property boundaries with a neighboring landowner.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Merito was Alessandro Merito, a humanist scholar and poet who lived in Venice from 1510 to 1582. He was known for his works celebrating the city's rich cultural heritage and was a member of the prestigious Accademia Veneziana.

The surname Merito also has ties to the region of Campania, where a family of that name held a prominent position in the town of Sorrento during the 17th century. One member, Francesco Merito (1625-1694), was a respected jurist and served as a magistrate in the local court system.

In the 18th century, a military officer named Carlo Merito (1738-1812) gained recognition for his service during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose through the ranks of the French army and was awarded the Legion of Honor for his bravery on the battlefield.

As the surname Merito spread beyond its Italian origins, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and the Americas. In Spain, a notable figure was the writer and philosopher Miguel Merito (1879-1945), who was influential in the development of modern Spanish literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merito

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

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 Merito 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.

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

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

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