Explore the Family Name Merenda
The meaning of Merenda
1. Italian: from merenda, from Late Latin merenda ‘evening meal’; however, it may have retained the meaning of Latin merere ‘to merit’ in the sense ‘worthy cause, thing of merit’. 2. Portuguese: from merenda ‘light meal’, cognate with 1 above. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Antonio, Carmelo, Giuseppe, Mario, Rosario, Angelo, Domenic, Domenico, Giulio, Nicola, Oreste, Silvestro, Umberto.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Merenda in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Merenda has experienced a slight decrease in the United States over a ten-year period. In 2000, the surname was ranked 28,283rd in terms of frequency, and by 2010, it had slipped slightly to 28,704th, marking a 1.49% decrease in rank. However, the actual number of individuals with this surname increased from 796 to 830 during the same period, showing a 4.27% rise in count. The proportion of people named Merenda per every 100,000 individuals also dipped by 6.67%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,283 | #28,704 | -1.49% |
| Count | 796 | 830 | 4.27% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.3 | 0.28 | -6.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Merenda
Moving on to the ethnicity distribution for this surname, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of individuals with the Merenda surname identify as White, making up 94.22% of the total in 2010, down from 95.73% in 2000. The percentage identifying as Hispanic saw the most substantial increase, rising 53.78% from 2.51% to 3.86%. Those who identified their ethnicity as two or more races fell from 0.75% to 0.60%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased slightly from 0.63% to 0.60%. There were no individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or Black in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.73% | 94.22% | -1.58% |
| Hispanic | 2.51% | 3.86% | 53.78% |
| Two or More Races | 0.75% | 0.6% | -20% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.63% | 0.6% | -4.76% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |