Explore the Family Name Meritt
The meaning of Meritt
English: variant of Merritt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Meritt in the United States?
According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Meritt experienced a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Meritt ranked 27,901 in popularity and this dropped by 4.17% to 29,064 in 2010. Despite the drop in the rank, the count of people with the Meritt surname actually increased slightly, going from 810 in 2000 to 816 in 2010, marking a growth of 0.74%. The proportion of individuals named Meritt per 100,000 people also saw a slight drop of 6.67%, moving from 0.3 in 2000 to 0.28 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #27,901 | #29,064 | -4.17% |
| Count | 810 | 816 | 0.74% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.3 | 0.28 | -6.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Meritt
In terms of ethnic identity, the census data reveals some shifts among those with the surname Meritt between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders decreased by 9.56%, from 1.36% to 1.23%. A new category emerged as there were individuals who identified with two or more races in 2010, which was not recorded in 2000. Meanwhile, the percentage of white individuals increased from 80.86% to 83.33%, an increase of 3.05%. Hispanic representation also grew by 53.13%, from 1.60% to 2.45%. Conversely, the percentage of Black individuals decreased significantly from 14.81% to 10.05%, a decrease of 32.14%. Lastly, American Indian and Alaskan Natives started appearing in the data in 2010, accounting for 0.61% of the total.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.86% | 83.33% | 3.05% |
| Black | 14.81% | 10.05% | -32.14% |
| Hispanic | 1.6% | 2.45% | 53.13% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 2.33% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.36% | 1.23% | -9.56% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.61% | 0% |