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

Merlino, 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 Merlino surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merlino in America

Merlino is the 11821st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merlino surname appeared 2,647 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 Merlino.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merlino 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 Merlino

The surname Merlino is of Italian origin, deriving from the medieval Italian word "merlo," which means "blackbird." It is thought to have originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone with dark hair or complexion resembling the distinctive black plumage of the blackbird.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna. In some instances, the name may have also evolved from place names containing the word "merlo," such as Merlo in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Guglielmo Merlino, a notary from Parma who lived in the late 13th century. His name appears in several legal documents from that era, attesting to the existence of the surname in that region.

In the 14th century, a nobleman named Gherardo Merlino was a prominent figure in the city of Pisa. He served as a councilor and ambassador for the Republic of Pisa during the turbulent period of conflicts between the maritime republics of Italy.

Another notable bearer of the name was Antonio Merlino, a renowned Italian painter from the late 15th century. Born in Nola, near Naples, he was known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches in the region.

During the Renaissance period, the Merlino family produced several scholars and intellectuals, including Girolamo Merlino, a humanist and philosopher from Vicenza who lived in the early 16th century. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time and authored several works on philosophy and rhetoric.

In the 17th century, Sebastiano Merlino was a celebrated composer and musician from Naples. He composed several operas and sacred works, contributing to the rich musical tradition of the city during the Baroque era.

Over the centuries, variations of the surname have emerged, such as Merlini, Merloni, and Merlo, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic evolutions. Despite these variations, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the image of the blackbird, a symbol that has endured through the generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merlino

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

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

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

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