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

Merkson, 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 Merkson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merkson in America

Merkson is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merkson surname appeared 106 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 Merkson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merkson 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 Merkson

The surname Merkson originates from the German region of Bavaria, dating back to the early 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "merken," meaning "to mark" or "to notice," suggesting that the name may have been an occupational name for a clerk or record keeper.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bavarian town records of Augsburg, where a certain Hans Merkson was listed as a merchant in 1527. Another notable early bearer of the name was Johann Merkson, a Protestant reformer and theologian from Nuremberg, who lived from 1515 to 1588.

In the 17th century, the Merkson family appeared to have spread across various regions of Germany and Austria. The name can be found in the parish records of Salzburg, where a Christoph Merkson was born in 1635. Additionally, a Johannes Merkson was recorded as a landowner in the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1671.

As the Merkson family continued to grow and migrate, they left their mark in various parts of Europe. In the late 18th century, a prominent figure named Wilhelm Merkson (1745-1812) was a successful merchant and banker in the city of Hamburg, Germany.

Another notable individual with the surname Merkson was Sophie Merkson (1805-1879), a German writer and feminist activist from Berlin. She played a significant role in advocating for women's rights and education during the 19th century.

In the 20th century, the name Merkson gained recognition through the achievements of Hans Merkson (1913-1997), a renowned German architect who designed several notable buildings in Munich and Frankfurt.

While the Merkson surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its roots remain firmly planted in the rich cultural and historical heritage of Bavaria and the surrounding regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merkson

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Merkson, 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!