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

Merlos, 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 Merlos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merlos in America

Merlos is the 15520th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merlos surname appeared 1,886 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 Merlos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merlos 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 Merlos

The surname Merlos has its origins in Spain, with records dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "merlo," which means blackbird. This suggests that the name may have been originally used as a nickname or occupational surname for someone who worked with these birds, perhaps a bird catcher or breeder.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Merlos can be found in the 1497 census records of the Kingdom of Castile. A certain Juan Merlos is listed as a resident of the town of Burgos. There are also references to a family named Merlos in the municipal archives of the city of Seville from the early 16th century.

The name Merlos appears to have spread from its origins in central and southern Spain to other regions of the Iberian Peninsula and the Americas during the colonial era. In the 16th and 17th centuries, several Merlos individuals are recorded as settlers or conquistadors in various parts of Spanish colonial territories, such as Mexico and Peru.

One notable figure bearing the Merlos name was Diego Merlos, a Spanish conquistador born in Seville around 1520. He participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro and later served as a colonial administrator in the Viceroyalty of Peru.

Another historically significant individual was Fray Juan Merlos, a Franciscan friar born in Córdoba, Spain, in the late 16th century. He traveled to New Spain (present-day Mexico) as a missionary and is credited with founding several missions and contributing to the spread of Christianity in the region.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Antonio Merlos y Cabrera (1734-1810) served as a military officer and colonial administrator in Spanish Louisiana and Puerto Rico.

During the 19th century, a notable figure was Manuel Merlos, a Spanish painter and illustrator born in Seville in 1835. He is known for his works depicting scenes from everyday life in Andalusia.

Despite its Spanish origins, the surname Merlos has also been found in other parts of Europe, such as Italy and France, likely due to migration patterns and intermarriage over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merlos

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

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

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

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