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

Merriman, 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 Merriman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merriman in America

Merriman is the 3908th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merriman surname appeared 9,085 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Merriman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merriman 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 Merriman

The surname Merriman is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "merri" meaning pleasant or merry, and "mann" meaning man. It first emerged in the 12th century as a descriptive surname, given to someone with a cheerful or pleasant demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1195, where it is spelled "Merriman". It is also found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1221, suggesting the name was present in different regions of England during this period.

The Merriman surname is believed to have originated in the counties of Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, and Leicestershire, where it was particularly prevalent in the Middle Ages. The name may also have connections to various place names in these areas, such as Merridale or Merrifield.

One notable early bearer of the Merriman name was John Merriman, a 14th-century merchant and landowner from Coventry, Warwickshire. Records indicate he was involved in the wool trade and held properties in the city.

Another historical figure was William Merriman, a farmer and landowner from Northamptonshire, who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in land records and court rolls from the time.

In the 16th century, the Merriman surname can be found in the parish records of Leicestershire, with several families bearing the name residing in villages such as Lutterworth and Market Harborough.

One of the most renowned individuals with this surname was Nathaniel Merriman (1670-1740), an English clergyman and author from Worcestershire. He wrote several religious works and served as the Rector of Donington in Shropshire.

Another notable Merriman was Samuel Merriman (1721-1793), a British politician and Member of Parliament for the borough of Chippenham in Wiltshire during the latter half of the 18th century.

Overall, the Merriman surname has a long and rich history in England, particularly in the Midlands region, where it originated as a descriptive name reflecting a person's pleasant or cheerful nature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merriman

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

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

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

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