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

Merza, 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 Merza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Merza in America

Merza is the 61297th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Merza surname appeared 328 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 Merza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Merza 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 Merza

The surname Merza has its origins in the Middle Eastern region, specifically in modern-day Iran and surrounding countries. It is believed to have emerged around the 8th or 9th century AD during the Islamic Golden Age.

Merza is derived from the Persian word "marz," meaning "border" or "frontier." This suggests that the name may have originated from families or individuals who resided in border regions or were associated with guarding or defending territorial boundaries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Merza can be found in a collection of Persian poetry from the 11th century. The poet Merza Neyshapuri, born in the city of Neyshabur in northeastern Iran around 1020 AD, is considered one of the earliest known individuals to bear this surname.

During the Seljuk Empire, which ruled over parts of the Middle East and Central Asia from the 11th to 13th centuries, the name Merza appeared in several historical records and documents. Notably, a high-ranking military commander named Merza Ata served under Sultan Malik Shah I in the late 11th century.

As the name spread across the region, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, such as Merzaa, Merzaah, and Merzai. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and linguistic traditions.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Merza Razi, a scholar and physician from the city of Ray (present-day Iran), gained recognition for his contributions to the field of medicine and philosophy.

The Merza surname also found its way into the Ottoman Empire, where it was adopted by families of Turkish and Kurdish descent. One prominent individual bearing this name was Merza Pasha, an Ottoman statesman and military leader who served as the governor of Baghdad in the late 18th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Merza include Merza Ali Akbar Nateqi, an Iranian poet and calligrapher from the 19th century, and Merza Mohammad Reza Kalhor, a renowned Iranian musician and composer who was born in 1950 and is known for his contributions to the Persian classical music tradition.

While the surname Merza is most commonly associated with the Middle Eastern region, particularly Iran and neighboring countries, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Merza

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

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

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

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