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

Merkerson, 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 Merkerson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merkerson in America

Merkerson is the 57914th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merkerson surname appeared 351 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 Merkerson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merkerson 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 Merkerson

The surname Merkerson has its origins in Germany, and it is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "merker," which means "one who remembers or takes notice." This suggests that it may have been an occupational surname initially, given to someone whose job involved remembering or recording important information or events.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the chronicles of the German town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hermann Merkerson is mentioned as a respected merchant and guild member in the late 14th century. Another historical reference to the name comes from the town of Augsburg, where records from the 15th century indicate the presence of a family named Merkerson, who were involved in the textile trade.

The surname Merkerson has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Merkershausen and Merkersbach. These places may have been named after early settlers or landowners with the surname Merkerson, or the name may have derived from these locations.

Notable individuals with the surname Merkerson include Johann Merkerson (1612-1678), a renowned German theologian and author, who published several influential works on religious philosophy. Another prominent figure was Friedrich Merkerson (1771-1846), a German military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent politician in his home state.

In the 19th century, a family of Merkersons emigrated from Germany to the United States, where they settled in the state of Pennsylvania. One of their descendants, S. Epatha Merkerson (born 1952), became a celebrated American actress, best known for her role in the long-running TV series "Law & Order."

Other notable individuals with the surname Merkerson include Hans Merkerson (1928-2003), a German-born artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his abstract works, and Elise Merkerson (1902-1984), a German-American writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and short stories.

While the surname Merkerson is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from merchants and soldiers to artists and writers, across several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merkerson

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

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

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

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