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

Merka, 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 Merka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merka in America

Merka is the 107669th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merka surname appeared 165 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 Merka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merka 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 Merka

The surname MERKA is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Austria and southern Germany during the late Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the Old High German word "merkan," meaning "to mark" or "to note." This suggests that the name may have been used to identify individuals who worked as surveyors, record keepers, or those involved in marking boundaries or properties.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MERKA can be found in the Bavarian town of Landshut in the 14th century. A document from 1362 mentions a certain "Hans Merka," who was a landowner and merchant in the area. This record provides valuable insight into the early use and distribution of the surname.

The name MERKA also appears in various historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries. For example, the Codex Diplomaticus Austrio-Frisingensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Archbishopric of Salzburg, contains references to individuals with the surname MERKA. One such entry, dated 1487, mentions a "Georg Merka" from the town of Hallein.

During the Renaissance period, the MERKA surname gained further prominence. Notably, Johannes Merka (1484-1548), a German scholar and humanist from Nuremberg, made significant contributions to the study of classical literature and philosophy. His works on ancient Greek and Roman authors earned him widespread recognition among intellectuals of his time.

Another notable figure was Christoph Merka (1592-1652), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Brandenburg. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded and helped establish the MERKA name in the realm of music.

In the 18th century, the MERKA surname was also found in the Austrian Empire. One prominent individual was Franz Xaver Merka (1730-1798), a Bohemian architect and master builder who designed several notable churches and public buildings in Prague and the surrounding regions.

As the name spread across Central Europe, it also took on various regional spellings and variations, such as Mercka, Mercker, and Meerka. These variations can be found in historical records from different regions, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings during that time period.

The MERKA surname has a rich and diverse history, with its origins rooted in the Germanic regions of Europe. From surveyors and landowners to scholars, composers, and architects, the name has been associated with individuals who have left their mark on various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merka

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!