2010
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mermea
A Romanian surname derived from the word "merme" meaning "bullets" or "bullets of lead".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Mermea. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mermea surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Mermea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mermea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mermea
The surname Mermea has its origins in Italy, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "merma," which means "to diminish" or "to lessen." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked in a profession where goods were measured or weighed, such as a merchant or a trader.
The earliest recorded instances of the Mermea surname can be traced back to the region of Tuscany, particularly in the city of Florence and its surrounding areas. In the 1500s, the name appeared in several municipal records and tax rolls, indicating that families bearing this surname were present in the local communities.
One notable mention of the Mermea name can be found in the personal correspondence of the famous Italian Renaissance artist, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564). In one of his letters, he refers to a certain "Giacomo Mermea," who may have been a patron or a business associate.
In the 17th century, the Mermea surname spread beyond Tuscany to other parts of Italy. Historical records show that in 1624, a man named Pietro Mermea was appointed as a magistrate in the city of Naples. Another prominent figure from this era was Giovanna Mermea (1589-1673), a renowned painter and poet who was part of the artistic circle in Rome.
As the centuries progressed, the Mermea family continued to establish itself in various regions of Italy. One notable member was Francesco Mermea (1712-1786), a lawyer and scholar from the city of Bologna, who authored several influential legal treatises.
During the 19th century, the Mermea surname gained recognition in the field of medicine. Dr. Antonio Mermea (1820-1892) was a pioneering surgeon from Milan who developed innovative techniques for treating battlefield injuries during the Italian Unification Wars.
While the Mermea surname may not be among the most common in Italy today, its rich history and connections to notable figures in various fields showcase the diverse contributions of those who have borne this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mermea
Among Census respondents with the surname Mermea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mermea bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mermea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.6% · 105
- White3.6% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mermea
Mermea appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-18 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,286 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 17,286 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mermea surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #131,379 | #148,665 | -13.2% |
| Count | 129 | 111 | -14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mermea bearers went from 129 to 111 (-14.0% change). The surname moved down 17,286 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #148,665.
FAQ
Mermea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mermea?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Mermea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Mermea?
Mermea ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Mermea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mermea.
Has Mermea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mermea went from 129 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Mermea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mermea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mermea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mermea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.6%), White (3.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mermea (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mermea mean?
A Romanian surname derived from the word "merme" meaning "bullets" or "bullets of lead". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mermea (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Mermea?
Want to know how many people have the last name Mermea? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.