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

Merkle, 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 Merkle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merkle in America

Merkle is the 8668th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merkle surname appeared 3,791 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Merkle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merkle 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 Merkle

The surname Merkle originated in Germany and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "merker," which means "marker" or "surveyor." This suggests that the name may have been originally given to someone who worked as a land surveyor or a person responsible for marking boundaries or properties.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Merkle can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the former Principality of Anhalt in central Germany. In this text, dated around the early 13th century, a person named Heinrich Merkele is mentioned as a witness to a legal transaction.

Another early reference to the name Merkle can be found in the Heidelberg University records from the 15th century. In 1467, a student named Johann Merkle enrolled at the prestigious institution, indicating that the name was already well-established in the region.

The Merkle surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany. For instance, there is a village called Merkelbach in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which may have derived its name from the surname or vice versa. Additionally, the name Merkle has been linked to the town of Merklingen in the state of Baden-Württemberg, where it is believed to have originated.

One notable bearer of the Merkle surname was Johann Georg Merkle (1779-1844), a German Protestant theologian and philosopher. He served as a professor at the University of Erlangen and was known for his work on moral philosophy and Christian ethics.

Another prominent figure was Georg Merkle (1944-2022), a German mathematician and computer scientist. He made significant contributions to the field of cryptography and is best known for his work on the Merkle tree, a fundamental data structure used in many blockchain and cryptocurrency systems.

In the United States, the Merkle surname has also been present for several centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is that of Frederick Merkle (1763-1838), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 18th century.

Another notable American with the Merkle surname was Johnny Merkle (1888-1976), a professional baseball player who played for the New York Giants in the early 20th century. He is remembered for his involvement in the infamous "Merkle's Boner" incident in 1908, which became one of the most controversial plays in baseball history.

Overall, the Merkle surname has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its German origins. Its association with professions such as surveying and its presence in various place names across Germany reflect the name's deep roots in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merkle

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

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

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

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