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

Merry, 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 Merry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merry in America

Merry is the 8844th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merry surname appeared 3,704 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Merry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merry 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 Merry

The surname Merry is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "myrige," which means "pleasant" or "cheerful." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone with a joyful or merry disposition.

The earliest known record of the surname Merry dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire, where a person named William Merry is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists individuals named Merry residing in various counties across England.

During the 13th century, the surname Merry was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. These areas were home to several families bearing this name, as evidenced by various historical records and documents from that period.

One notable individual with the surname Merry was Sir William Merry, a prominent merchant and alderman of London who lived in the late 14th century. He was known for his involvement in the Wool Trade and served as the Sheriff of London in 1387.

Another historical figure bearing the name Merry was Thomas Merry, a Welsh clergyman and scholar born in 1594. He was appointed as the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in Ireland and made significant contributions to the translation of the Bible into Welsh.

In the 17th century, the surname Merry gained further recognition with the birth of Robert Merry in 1755. He was an English poet and writer who authored several works, including "The Laurel of Liberty" and "The Pains of Memory."

The name Merry has also been associated with various places in England. For instance, the village of Merry Hill in the West Midlands county of Dudley derives its name from the Merry family, who were once landowners in the area. Similarly, the town of Merryworth in Kent is believed to have originated from the Old English words "myrige" and "worth," meaning "pleasant estate."

Throughout history, the surname Merry has been recorded with various spellings, such as Merrie, Merrey, and Merie. These variations were common in earlier times due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

While the surname Merry has been present across various regions of England, it has also been documented in other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland, although its origins can be traced back to the English roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merry

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

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

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

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