Explore the Family Name Merkey
The meaning of Merkey
Probably Irish: variant of Markey.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Merkey in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname "Merkey" has seen a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the name ranked 44,821 in popularity, but by 2010 it had slipped to the rank of 49,723. This represents a change of -10.94% over this decade. The count of people carrying the Merkey surname also declined during this period, from 451 in 2000 to 422 in 2010, which is a decrease of -6.43%. Lastly, the proportion of the population with this surname per 100 thousand people fell from 0.17 in 2000 to 0.14 in 2010, indicating a drop of -17.65%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #44,821 | #49,723 | -10.94% |
| Count | 451 | 422 | -6.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.14 | -17.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Merkey
Turning attention to ethnic identity data based on the Decennial U.S. Census, most individuals with the Merkey surname identify as White, making up 95.79% of the group in 2000 and 94.55% in 2010. While the percentage of people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or Black remained at zero or dropped to zero over the decade, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw significant growth, increasing from 1.11% in 2000 to 2.37% in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying as two or more races decreased slightly from 2.00% in 2000 to 1.66% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.79% | 94.55% | -1.29% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.11% | 2.37% | 113.51% |
| Two or More Races | 2% | 1.66% | -17% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 1.11% | 0% | 0% |