Explore the Family Name Mertz
The meaning of Mertz
1. German: patronymic from a short form of the personal name Martin. 2. German: variant of Martz. This surname (in any of the possible senses; see also 1 above) is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine) and Poland. 3. Germanized or Americanized form of Slovenian Merc: occupational name for a grain or salt measurer, from a vernacular form of merec ‘measurer’. Compare Merz.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mertz in the United States?
Based on the data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Mertz' has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 'Mertz' ranked as the 4209th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 4521st spot, representing a change of -7.41%. Despite this drop in rank, the count of individuals with the surname increased marginally from 7805 in 2000 to 7841 in 2010, a growth of 0.46%. However, when analyzed in proportion to every 100k people, the prevalence of 'Mertz' decreased by 7.96% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,209 | #4,521 | -7.41% |
| Count | 7,805 | 7,841 | 0.46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.89 | 2.66 | -7.96% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mertz
The ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Mertz' also underwent shifts during the same period according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. A significant portion of individuals identified as White, though there was a minor decrease from 96.41% in 2000 to 95.80% in 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a notable increase, jumping from 0.41% in 2000 to 0.64% in 2010, a change of 56.10%. Similarly, the Hispanic representation rose from 1.58% to 2.14%, a 35.44% increase. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black experienced a modest rise from 0.37% to 0.40%. The only ethnic group that saw a decrease was American Indian and Alaskan Native, dropping from 0.27% to 0.20%. Data for those identifying with two or more races was suppressed for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.41% | 95.8% | -0.63% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 2.14% | 35.44% |
| Two or More Races | 0.96% | 0.82% | -14.58% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.64% | 56.1% |
| Black | 0.37% | 0.4% | 8.11% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.27% | 0.2% | -25.93% |
Mertz ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Mertz is French & German, which comprises 43.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (30.7%) and Eastern European (6.9%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 43.1% |
| British & Irish | 30.7% |
| Eastern European | 6.9% |
| Other | 19.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Mertz
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Mertz have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 73.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 73.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 72.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 72.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 72.60% |
What Mertz haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Mertz is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-Z631 and I-Z138, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Rea, Goodman, Hartman, Weber, Townsend, Bauer, Singer, Kramer, Wagner, Schneider.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mertz surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Mertz have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Mertz" Surname 55.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Mertz" Surname 30.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mertz" Surname 23.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Mertz" Surname 12.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mertz?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Mertz are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition