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

Merriwether, 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 Merriwether surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merriwether in America

Merriwether is the 35147th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merriwether surname appeared 641 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 Merriwether.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merriwether 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 Merriwether

The surname Merriwether is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old English words "merry" and "weather," which together might have referred to a cheerful or pleasant disposition. Alternatively, it could have been a locational surname, describing someone who lived near a merry or pleasant area.

One of the earliest known records of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it is spelled "Myriweder." This suggests the name was present in England by the 13th century. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Merriweather, Merywether, and Meriweather.

In the 16th century, records show a family of Merriwethers residing in the county of Warwickshire. One notable figure was Thomas Merriwether, born around 1525, who served as a member of the Warwickshire county militia during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain John Merriwether fought on the Parliamentarian side and is mentioned in historical accounts of the Battle of Naseby in 1645. His descendants later settled in colonial Virginia in North America.

Another prominent individual was Nicholas Merriwether, born in 1630 in Warwickshire, England. He emigrated to Virginia in the mid-1600s and became one of the earliest settlers in the area that would later become Albemarle County. His descendants played a significant role in the history and development of the region.

In the 18th century, Meriwether Lewis, born in 1774, gained fame as the co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which explored the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase territory and the Pacific Northwest. His middle name was derived from his mother's family name, Meriwether.

Throughout history, the Merriwether surname has been associated with various place names, such as Merriwether County in Georgia, which was later renamed Calhoun County, and Meriwether Lewis Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, named after the explorer.

Other notable individuals bearing the Merriwether surname include David Merriwether (1786-1853), a United States Congressman from Kentucky, and Stuart Merriwether (1866-1947), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merriwether

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

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

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

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