Explore the Family Name Merica
The meaning of Merica
1. Americanized form of an unidentified German surname, most likely Merck or its variants Merk and Merke. 2. Romanian: from a pet form of the personal name Mera. History: In North America, the surname Merica first appeared in early 1800s in VA. It is borne by the descendants of a certain Johannes Markey and his (half) brother(s), said to come from Germany. The original form of his surname is not known, as Markey was an altered form, too.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Merica in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Merica" saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. The name fell in rank from 31,958 to 33,121 during this period, marking a change of -3.64%. However, despite the drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the "Merica" surname increased slightly by 1.32%, moving from 682 in 2000 to 691 in 2010. There was also a minor dip in the proportion per 100k, which decreased by 8% from 0.25 to 0.23.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #31,958 | #33,121 | -3.64% |
| Count | 682 | 691 | 1.32% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.25 | 0.23 | -8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Merica
The ethnic identity associated with the "Merica" surname experienced some slight shifts from 2000 to 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of individuals with this last name identified as White, although there was a small decrease from 97.07% in 2000 to 96.09% in 2010. Those who identified as Hispanic experienced the most significant change, illustrating a growth of 60.68%, albeit from a small base of 1.17% in 2000 to 1.88% in 2010. In addition, a new ethnicity appeared in 2010, with 0.72% identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander. Meanwhile, those identifying as two or more races dropped to zero, and there remained no individuals who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.07% | 96.09% | -1.01% |
| Hispanic | 1.17% | 1.88% | 60.68% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.72% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.17% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |