2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Merket
A variant spelling of the French surname Merchet, potentially derived from a nickname meaning "trader" or "merchant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Merket. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Merket 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Merket in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Merket, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Merket
The surname MERKET is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "mercet," which referred to a marketplace or a trading center. This connection suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near or worked in such marketplaces.
The earliest recorded instances of the name MERKET can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century onwards. One notable example is the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273, which mentions a certain Robert Merket residing in the county.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Merkete, Merkit, and Merkett, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions at the time. Interestingly, some records indicate that the name may have been derived from a place name, possibly referring to a location with a thriving market or trading center.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname MERKET was John Merket, a merchant from London who lived in the late 15th century. Records show that he was involved in trade with the Low Countries and was a member of the prestigious Worshipful Company of Mercers.
In the 16th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of William Merket (1525-1596), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Winchester Cathedral. His writings on religious subjects were widely influential during the Reformation period.
Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Merket (1597-1672), a wealthy landowner and politician from Nottinghamshire. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Parliamentarian cause but later switching allegiance to the Royalists.
The 17th century also saw the emergence of Richard Merket (1628-1703), a prominent architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London, including the Church of St. Clement Danes and the Old Bailey courthouse.
In the 18th century, the name MERKET was associated with the literary world through the works of Elizabeth Merket (1745-1819), a celebrated poet and essayist whose writings explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition.
As the centuries progressed, the MERKET surname continued to appear in various regions of England, with some branches of the family relocating to other parts of the British Isles and even abroad, contributing to the global dispersal of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Merket
Among Census respondents with the surname Merket, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Merket 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 Merket surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 8
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Merket
Merket 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
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,957 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 4,957 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 Merket 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 | #159,712 | #154,755 | 3.1% |
| Count | 101 | 102 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Merket bearers went from 101 to 102 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,957 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #154,755.
FAQ
Merket surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Merket?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Merket. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Merket?
Merket ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Merket. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Merket.
Has Merket become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Merket went from 101 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Merket?
Among Census respondents with the surname Merket, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Merket in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Merket appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (7.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Merket (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 Merket mean?
A variant spelling of the French surname Merchet, potentially derived from a nickname meaning "trader" or "merchant". 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 Merket (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 people share the surname Merket?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.