Explore the Family Name Merriott
The meaning of Merriott
English: 1. habitational name from Merriott in Somerset. The placename may derive from Old English mere, miere ‘mare’, mere ‘pool’, or (ge)mǣre ‘boundary’ + geat ‘gate, gap’. 2. from the Middle English male personal name Meryet (Old English Mǣrgēat, from mǣre ‘famous’ + Gēat, a tribal name). In post-medieval times, both this surname and the placename in 1 above underwent changes in pronunciation, sometimes by confusion with Marriott, and often by losing the medial -i- or -y-, hence Merritt, Meritt, and so on.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Merriott in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Merriott has seen a decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Merriott was at rank 38,587, but by 2010 it had dropped to 47,006, a change of -21.82. The count of individuals with the Merriott surname also decreased during this period, from 539 in 2000 to 452 in 2010, representing a -16.14 change. The proportion of the name per 100k people decreased by 25%, from 0.2 in 2000 to 0.15 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #38,587 | #47,006 | -21.82% |
| Count | 539 | 452 | -16.14% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.2 | 0.15 | -25% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Merriott
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the Merriott surname identify as White, with a slight increase from 92.95% in 2000 to 93.14% in 2010. There was a notable increase in those identifying as Two or More Races, from 1.67% in 2000 to 2.21% in 2010, representing a change of 32.34%. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic also saw an increase of 18.83% during the same period. However, there was no reported Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities in 2010, while those identifying as Black rose from zero in 2000 to 1.11% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.95% | 93.14% | 0.2% |
| Hispanic | 2.23% | 2.65% | 18.83% |
| Two or More Races | 1.67% | 2.21% | 32.34% |
| Black | 0% | 1.11% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.86% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |