The Merriman surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,085 people carried this name — #3,908 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 32,500 people counted. That is up 5% from 8,656 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Merriman surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the merry man’.

An early record he cites: Adam Myryman, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Merriman and Merryman.

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

107 families named Merriman, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 620 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Merriman, Meremon, Meriman, Merreman, Merryman, Merrymoon, Merrymoone, Miriman, Mirriman. 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

Connecticut 39
Maryland 19
Virginia 10
North Carolina 10
Massachusetts 9
Maine 8
New York 6
Vermont 3
Pennsylvania 3

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

Merriman in American newspapers,
1911–1916.

Newspaper page from The Lakeland Evening Telegram carrying the name Merriman
The Lakeland Evening Telegram 1916-09-23
Newspaper page from The Colfax Gazette carrying the name Merriman
The Colfax Gazette 1911-11-24
Newspaper page from The Chickasha Daily Express carrying the name Merriman
The Chickasha Daily Express 1916-06-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 60,202 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Merriman in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

18,135 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Merriman. The most, 3,218, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 11,347
Victoria 2,332
Queensland 1,441
Tasmania 1,055
South Australia 865
Western Australia 825
ACT (Canberra) 216
Northern Territory 6

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

Who carried it

People named Merriman,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Merriman
    James Merriman 1816–1883 · politician
  • Orlando C. Merriman
    Orlando C. Merriman 1827–1906 · lawyer
  • Ann Merriman d. 2017
  • Samuel Merriman 1731–1818 · physician
  • Brian Merriman 1749–1805 · poet
  • Samuel Merriman 1771–1852 · physician

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 Merriman,
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 States736 records

736 records of the Merriman name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 321
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 132
  • Other U.S. records 283
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Raymond L. Merriman

    Born 1906 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1943 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; store manager. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1974, buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    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 John David Merriman

    Born 1942; from Lawton, Oklahoma. U.S. Marine Corps, pilot ch-46 qualified; died in an accident 1967 in Quang Tri, 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 James Merriman

    Arrived at New York in 1878 aboard the City of Richmond from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 28; miner. From England.

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

Showing 3 of 736 records for Merriman in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (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).

Australia196 records

196 records of the Merriman name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 111
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 45
  • Other Australian records 40
  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 John Merriman

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Equestrian, sailing from London in 1845. Native of Shoreditch, Middlesex.

    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 Chas Merriman

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Euphrasia, aged 47; 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 Harold Merriman

    Retired of E Malvern, Victoria; died 1986.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 196 records for Merriman in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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).

Canada28 records

28 records of the Merriman name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 11
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 5
  • Other Canadian records 12
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record William Lloyd Merriman

    Died 1945; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary Frances Merriman

    Died 1930 in Parrsboro, Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  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 Merrill Knowlton Merriman

    Died in service in 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 28 records for Merriman in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · 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: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom18 records

18 records of the Merriman name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 11
  • Welsh wills index cards 6
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Edith Mary Merriman

    Will proved in 1939; of Kilgetty.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Letittia Merriman

    Buried in 1827 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Merriman

    Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 18 records for Merriman in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · 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: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand12 records

12 records of the Merriman name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Merriman

    Died 1907, aged 80; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Merriman

    Died 1933, aged 30; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ernest Merriman

    Died 1925, aged 51; buried at Lyttelton Public Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Merriman in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France3 records

3 records of the Merriman 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 Philippe Paul Serge Merriman

    Born 1959 in Loches; died 1991 in Loches (Indre-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Serge Albert Auguste Merriman

    Born 1930 in Loches; died 1993 in Loches (Indre-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Patrick Claude Andre Merriman

    Born 1957 in Loches; died 2000 in Saint-Avertin (Indre-et-Loire).

    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 Merriman.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Merriman 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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