2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mertl
An occupational surname derived from the German word "Mörtel," meaning mortar or cement mixer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Mertl. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mertl 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.
Bearers in the US
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Mertl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mertl, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mertl
The surname MERTL is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Germanic root word "mert," which means "famous" or "renowned," suggesting that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone who had achieved a certain level of fame or renown.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MERTL can be found in the Dortmunder Bürgerbuch, a register of citizens from the city of Dortmund in present-day Germany, dating back to the 15th century. The name appears to have been concentrated in the regions of Westphalia and the Rhineland during this period, but it later spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Johann Georg Mertl, a German composer and organist born in Bamberg in 1718. His works, which included masses, motets, and other sacred compositions, were influential in the development of the Baroque style in the region.
Another prominent figure with the surname MERTL was Karl Mertl, an Austrian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1908 to 1912. He played a crucial role in navigating the complex political landscape of the early 20th century and helped shape the empire's foreign policy during a tumultuous period.
During the 19th century, the name MERTL was also found in the Czech lands, where it may have been influenced by the similar-sounding Czech surname Mertlik. One notable bearer from this region was František Mertl, a Czech painter and illustrator born in 1861, known for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting rural life in Bohemia.
In more recent history, a prominent figure with the surname MERTL was Rudolf Mertl, an Austrian football player and coach who represented Austria in the 1934 FIFA World Cup. He later went on to manage several successful club teams in Austria and Germany, cementing his place in the nation's sporting history.
While the surname MERTL may not be as widespread as some other European names, it has left its mark on various fields throughout history, from music and art to politics and sports, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have borne this distinctive name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mertl
Among Census respondents with the surname Mertl, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mertl 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 Mertl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 86
- Two or more races4.1% · 4
- Black or African American3.1% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mertl
Mertl appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-16 bearers (-14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,248 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-14.2%) | Down 10,248 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 Mertl 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 | #146,201 | #156,449 | -7.0% |
| Count | 113 | 97 | -14.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mertl bearers went from 113 to 97 (-14.2% change). The surname moved down 10,248 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #156,449.
FAQ
Mertl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mertl?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Mertl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Mertl?
Mertl ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 97 people with the surname Mertl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mertl.
Has Mertl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mertl went from 113 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 16 (-14.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Mertl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mertl, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Black (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 Mertl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mertl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Black (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 Mertl (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 Mertl mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "Mörtel," meaning mortar or cement mixer. 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 Mertl (0.03 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 share the surname Mertl?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.