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

Merlo, 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 Merlo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merlo in America

Merlo is the 10320th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merlo surname appeared 3,122 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 Merlo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merlo 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 Merlo

The surname MERLO is of Italian origin, originating in the northern regions of Italy. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "merlo," which means "blackbird." The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who resembled a blackbird in some way, either through their appearance or behavior.

In the early 14th century, the surname MERLO appeared in historical records from the city of Genoa, located in the northwestern region of Liguria, Italy. One of the earliest recorded instances was in a document from 1312, which mentioned a merchant named Guglielmo MERLO.

The name also has a connection to the town of Merlo, located in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont region. It is possible that some individuals with the surname MERLO originated from or had ties to this town, taking on the name as a locative surname.

Notable individuals with the surname MERLO throughout history include:

1. Antonio MERLO (born in Genoa, Italy, in the 15th century), a renowned painter and artist during the Italian Renaissance.
2. Girolamo MERLO (1561-1633), an Italian composer and musician from the city of Ferrara.
3. Sebastiano MERLO (1726-1802), an Italian architect and engineer who designed several prominent buildings in Turin, Italy.
4. Agostino MERLO (1869-1945), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament.
5. Giuseppe MERLO (1910-1992), an Italian professional football player and manager, who played for several clubs in Italy, including Juventus.

The surname MERLO has also been found in historical records from other Italian regions, such as Lombardy and Veneto, suggesting that the name may have spread across different parts of the country over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merlo

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

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

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

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