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

Merritte, 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 Merritte surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merritte in America

Merritte is the 82044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merritte surname appeared 230 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 Merritte.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merritte 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 Merritte

The surname Merritte has its origins in the Middle English period, deriving from the Old French word "merite," which translates to "merit" or "deserved." This surname likely originated in England during the 12th or 13th century, when many Norman-French names were introduced to the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Merritte surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a series of census-like records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. The name appears as "Meriet," a variation of the modern spelling.

During the 14th century, the surname began to spread across various regions of England, as evidenced by records such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which list individuals with the surname spelled as "Meryt" and "Merytt."

By the 15th century, the name had evolved closer to its modern spelling, with records from the Court Rolls of the Borough of Colchester in 1487 referencing a "William Meryte." This spelling variation suggests a connection to the Old French word "merite" and its meaning of deserved or earned merit.

Among notable historical figures bearing the Merritte surname was Sir John Merritte (1592-1657), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Middlesex during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent individual was Robert Merritte (1618-1684), a Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the religious life of colonial New England.

In the 18th century, the Merritte surname continued to appear in various records, including the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Monmouth, Wales, which listed the christening of a child named Elizabeth Merritte in 1721.

Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, notable figures included James Merritte (1809-1879), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in South America and contributed to the study of the region's flora and fauna. Additionally, there was Sarah Merritte (1835-1912), an English author and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education reform.

While the Merritte surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, its roots can be traced back to the Middle English period and the Old French word "merite," reflecting the concept of merit or deserved recognition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merritte

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

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

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

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