2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Merworth
An occupational surname derived from the Old English words "mere" (boundary) and "worth" (enclosure), likely referring to someone who worked at a boundary or enclosure.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Merworth. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Merworth 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Merworth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Merworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Merworth
The surname "Merworth" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely in the 11th or 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "mere" meaning "boundary" or "lake" and "worth" meaning "enclosure" or "homestead", suggesting that the name may have referred to a homestead located near a boundary or body of water.
The earliest known recorded instance of the name "Merworth" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, where a person named Robert de Merworth is mentioned. This suggests that the name was in use in southwestern England during the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various documents related to the village of Merworth in Somerset, indicating that the surname may have originated from this place name. The village was recorded as "Mereworth" in the Domesday Book of 1086, lending further credence to the theory that the surname is derived from a place name with Old English roots.
One notable bearer of the surname "Merworth" was Sir John Merworth, a knight who lived in the 14th century and served as a member of Parliament for Somerset in 1335. He was also a landowner and played a role in local governance during the reign of Edward III.
Another individual of note was William Merworth, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 15th century. He served as Sheriff of London in 1452 and was actively involved in the city's governance and trade.
In the 16th century, the name appears in records related to the village of Merworth in Wiltshire, suggesting that the surname may have had multiple points of origin within England. One notable bearer from this period was Thomas Merworth, a clergyman who served as the Rector of Merworth from 1567 to 1591.
During the 17th century, the spelling of the surname evolved, with variations such as "Merworth", "Mereworth", and "Merriworth" appearing in various records. One notable figure from this time was Sir William Merworth, a member of Parliament for Wiltshire in the 1620s and a supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
As the centuries progressed, the name "Merworth" continued to be found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire, where it is believed to have originated. While not a particularly common surname, it has endured and contributed to the rich tapestry of English family names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Merworth
Among Census respondents with the surname Merworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Merworth 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 Merworth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 95
- Two or more races8.5% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Merworth
Merworth 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-16 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 26,598 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 26,598 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,373 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 Merworth 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 | #159,712 | #152,339 | 4.6% |
| Count | 101 | 106 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Merworth bearers went from 101 to 106 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,373 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,339.
FAQ
Merworth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Merworth?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Merworth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Merworth?
Merworth ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 106 people with the surname Merworth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Merworth.
Has Merworth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Merworth went from 101 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Merworth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Merworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Merworth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Merworth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Two or More Races (8.5%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Merworth (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 Merworth mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old English words "mere" (boundary) and "worth" (enclosure), likely referring to someone who worked at a boundary or enclosure. 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 Merworth (0.04 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 Merworth?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.