2000
#7,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,849
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.43
Rare Last name
Merryman
An English occupational surname referring to a professional entertainer, such as a singer, musician, or jester.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,182 Americans carry the last name Merryman. That puts it at #8,636 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,959 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Merryman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Merryman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 81,959
Census rank
#8,636
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,647 bearers of the surname Merryman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8636th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Merryman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Merryman
The surname MERRYMAN is of English origin, and it traces its roots back to the medieval period. This name is thought to have derived from the Old English words "myrige" and "man," which together translate to "merry man" or "joyful person." The earliest records indicate that the name was first used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a cheerful or mirthful disposition.
The name MERRYMAN can be found in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners and taxpayers in England. One notable entry from this period is Willelmus le Meryman, who was listed as a resident of Norfolk.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Calendarium Genealogicum, a record of English families and their heraldic arms. This document mentions a John Merryman, born around 1320, who hailed from Warwickshire.
During the Tudor period, the MERRYMAN name appeared in several parish records and court rolls. One such example is Richard Merryman, born in 1546 in Gloucestershire, who was mentioned in the Manor Court Rolls of Campden.
In the 17th century, the name MERRYMAN was associated with several notable individuals. One was John Merryman, a merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, who lived from 1612 to 1685. Another was William Merryman, born in 1638 in Lincolnshire, who served as a magistrate and was involved in local politics.
The 18th century saw the rise of a prominent MERRYMAN family in Maryland, United States. John Merryman, born in 1741, was a wealthy landowner and businessman who played a role in the American Revolutionary War. His descendants continued to be influential in the state for generations.
In the 19th century, the MERRYMAN name was associated with several literary figures. One was James Merryman, an English poet and novelist born in 1820 in Staffordshire, who wrote several works exploring themes of love and nature. Another was Henry Merryman, born in 1845 in Oxfordshire, who was a renowned playwright and essayist known for his witty satirical works.
Throughout its history, the surname MERRYMAN has been found in various locations across England, including Norfolk, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, and Oxfordshire, as well as in the United States, particularly in Maryland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Merryman
Among Census respondents with the surname Merryman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Merryman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Merryman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 3,250
- Two or more races5.0% · 184
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 112
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 46
- Black or African American1.1% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Merryman
Merryman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,843
-6 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 599 places
2020
#8,636
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,647
-196 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 64 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,973 | 3,849 | 1.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,572 | 3,843 | 1.30 | -6 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 599 places |
| 2020 | #8,636 | 3,647 | 1.22 | -196 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 64 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Merryman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,572 | #8,636 | -0.7% |
| Count | 3,843 | 3,647 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.22 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Merryman bearers went from 3,843 to 3,647 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 64 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,572 to #8,636.
FAQ
Merryman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Merryman?
Name Census estimates that about 4,182 living Americans carry the surname Merryman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,959 residents.
How common is Merryman?
Merryman ranks #8,636 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,647 people with the surname Merryman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Merryman.
Has Merryman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Merryman went from 3,843 recorded bearers to 3,647. That is a decrease of 196 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,572 to #8,636.
What does the Census say about the background of Merryman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Merryman, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Merryman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (3,250 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Merryman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (3.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Merryman (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Merryman mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a professional entertainer, such as a singer, musician, or jester. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Merryman (1.22 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Merryman?
Find out how many people have the surname Merryman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.