The Merrill surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 32,620 people carried this name — #1,073 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 9,040 people counted. That is up 3% from 31,758 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Merrill surname

Variant of Muriel.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Merrill» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Muriel’.

His entry covers Merrall, Merrell and Merrill.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 528 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

375 families named Merrill, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 2,245 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Merrill, Merell, Meril, Merill, Merills, Merrel, Merrell, Merrells, Merrels, Merril, Merrille, Merrills, Merrils. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New Hampshire 98
Maine 81
Massachusetts 77
Connecticut 62
New York 22
North Carolina 13
Vermont 11
Maryland 7
Rhode Island 1
Pennsylvania 1
Virginia 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 253 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Merrill in American newspapers,
1882–1928.

Newspaper page from The Abbeville Press And Banner carrying the name Merrill
The Abbeville Press And Banner 1892-05-18
Newspaper page from The Washington Times carrying the name Merrill
The Washington Times 1928-11-27
Newspaper page from Press And Daily Dakotaian carrying the name Merrill
Press And Daily Dakotaian 1882-11-22

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 21,736 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Merrill in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

6,709 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Merrill. The most, 1,385, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 2,602
New South Wales 1,471
Victoria 1,440
South Australia 727
Western Australia 269
Tasmania 122
ACT (Canberra) 35
Northern Territory 9

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Merrill.

Who carried it

People named Merrill,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Orsamus Cook Merrill
    Orsamus Cook Merrill 1775–1865 · judge
  • Lynn L. Merrill d. 1989 · engineer
  • John Merrill d. 1734 · politician
  • Benjamin Merrill d. 1771
  • Ann Merrill 1505–
  • Daniel Merrill 1642–1717

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Merrill,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,910 records

2,910 records of the Merrill name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,177
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 616
  • Other U.S. records 1,117
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Joseph A. Merrill

    Born 1919 in Michigan. Enlisted 1941 at Fort Hayes Columbus, Ohio; sales clerk. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Union Cemetery Association, Columbus, Ohio.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Douglas Carroll Merrill

    Born 1948; from North St Paul, Minnesota. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Merrill

    Arrived at New York in 1852 aboard the Excelsior from Liverpool, aged 50; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,910 records for Merrill in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia92 records

92 records of the Merrill name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 56
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 14
  • Other Australian records 22
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Merrill

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Duncan, sailing from Sheerness in 1840. Native of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1844.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Merrill

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Esther Frances, aged 22; American.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record James Merrill

    Mill proprietor of Sandhurst, Victoria; died 1871.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 92 records for Merrill in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada64 records

64 records of the Merrill name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 46
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 6
  • Other Canadian records 12
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jeffrey Merrill

    Died 1966 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Gerald Herriman Merrill

    Died 1972; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record George Alexander Merrill

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 64 records for Merrill in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom10 records

10 records of the Merrill name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 9
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. T. Merrill

    Royal Army Medical Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. G. M. Merrill

    Norfolk Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. T. Merrill

    East Surrey Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Merrill in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Merrill name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Peter Merrill

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born in Long Beach.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Corrie Merrill

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1874 in Manyville.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Ernest Nathaniel Merrill

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1903 in San Francisco.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France1 record

1 record of the Merrill name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Bruce Merrill

    Born 1939 in the United States; died 1995 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Merrill.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Merrill is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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