2000
#29,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 758
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Very Rare Last name
Meriweather
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "pleasant meadow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 899 Americans carry the last name Meriweather. That puts it at #31,622 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 381,262 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meriweather 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
899
1 in 381,262
Census rank
#31,622
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
784
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 784 bearers of the surname Meriweather in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31622nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meriweather, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.6%. The next largest groups are White (15.2%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meriweather
The surname Meriweather is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the late medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from a place called Mereworth or Merworth in Kent, England. The name is a combination of the Old English words "mere," meaning a lake or pool, and "worth," meaning an enclosed settlement or homestead.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where it appears as "de Merewurth." This spelling variation reflects the transition from Old English to Middle English during that time. The name also appears in the Feet of Fines for Kent in 1301 as "Merworth."
In the 14th century, the surname is documented in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1332, where it appears as "Merewurth." The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer, indicating that individuals bearing this surname held properties or paid taxes in the region.
One notable historical figure with the surname Meriweather was Sir William Meriweather, who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He served as the High Sheriff of Kent in 1495 and was a member of the influential Meriweather family from Kent.
Another prominent individual was Thomas Meriweather, born around 1540 in Hartfield, Sussex. He was a landowner and is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Sussex in 1573, demonstrating the family's continued presence in the area.
In the 17th century, the Meriweather surname gained recognition through the exploits of John Meriweather (1620-1677), an English colonist who settled in Virginia. He was a prominent figure in the early days of the Virginia Colony and served as a member of the House of Burgesses, representing Charles City County.
Across the Atlantic, the name also appeared in New England, with Samuel Meriweather (1631-1684) being one of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname in Massachusetts. He was a landowner and is mentioned in the records of the town of Marblehead.
Throughout the 18th century, the Meriweather family continued to thrive in both England and the American colonies. Notable individuals include William Meriweather (1705-1765), a merchant and landowner in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Francis Meriweather (1735-1793), who served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
These examples illustrate the rich history and geographical spread of the Meriweather surname, tracing its journey from its English origins to its establishment in the American colonies and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meriweather
Among Census respondents with the surname Meriweather, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.6%. The next largest groups are White (15.2%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Meriweather 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 Meriweather surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American74.6% · 585
- White15.2% · 119
- Two or more races7.5% · 59
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meriweather
Meriweather 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
#27,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 869
+111 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 1,712 places
2020
#31,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 784
-85 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Down 3,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,390 | 758 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,678 | 869 | 0.29 | +111 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 1,712 places |
| 2020 | #31,622 | 784 | 0.26 | -85 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 3,944 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 Meriweather 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 | #27,678 | #31,622 | -14.2% |
| Count | 869 | 784 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.26 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meriweather bearers went from 869 to 784 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 3,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,678 to #31,622.
FAQ
Meriweather surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meriweather?
Name Census estimates that about 899 living Americans carry the surname Meriweather. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 381,262 residents.
How common is Meriweather?
Meriweather ranks #31,622 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 784 people with the surname Meriweather. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (899), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Meriweather.
Has Meriweather become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meriweather went from 869 recorded bearers to 784. That is a decrease of 85 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #27,678 to #31,622.
What does the Census say about the background of Meriweather?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meriweather, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.6%. The next largest groups are White (15.2%) and Two or More Races (7.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Meriweather in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.6% (585 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meriweather appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (74.6%), White (15.2%), Two or More Races (7.5%). 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 Meriweather (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 Meriweather mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "pleasant meadow". 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 Meriweather (0.26 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 are called Meriweather?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Meriweather on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.