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

Merrida, 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 Merrida surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merrida in America

Merrida is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merrida surname appeared 108 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 Merrida.

The history of the last name Merrida

The surname Merrida is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Catalonia. It is derived from the Catalan word "merda," which means "luck" or "fortune." This suggests that the name was likely given to individuals who were considered fortunate or prosperous.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Merrida can be traced back to the late 13th century in various municipal records and census documents from the city of Barcelona. One notable example is a land deed from 1287 that mentions a certain Pere Merrida, who was a landowner in the outskirts of the city.

During the 15th century, the name Merrida gained prominence in the nearby town of Vilafranca del Penedès, where it was associated with a prominent family of merchants and vineyard owners. One member of this family, Jaume Merrida (1432-1498), was a respected wine trader who established business ties with merchants in Italy and France.

In the 16th century, the Merrida name spread beyond Catalonia as some members of the family migrated to other parts of Spain and the Americas. One such individual was Diego Merrida (1547-1621), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico and later served as a colonial administrator in New Spain (present-day Mexico).

Another notable figure with the surname Merrida was María Merrida (1680-1756), a renowned Spanish artist and painter who was known for her religious works and portraits. Her paintings can be found in several churches and museums throughout Spain.

In the 19th century, the Merrida name gained recognition in the field of literature with the writer and poet Ramón Merrida (1822-1892). He was a prominent figure in the Catalan Renaixença, a cultural movement that aimed to revive the Catalan language and literature.

Despite its Spanish origins, the surname Merrida has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and intermarriage. For example, there are records of individuals with the name Merrida living in parts of South America, such as Argentina and Chile, as well as in the Philippines and parts of the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merrida

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

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 Merrida 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.

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

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

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