The Mertens surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,375 people carried this name — #7,597 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 67,600 people counted. That is up 9% from 4,017 in 2000.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 17,067 people named Mertens live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 494 people named Mertens.
86 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 38 départements, most often Nord.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
107 people named Mertens live in Switzerland.
They live in 10 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
104 people named Mertens have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 177 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 11 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 101 people named Mertens live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Mertens in American newspapers,
1885–1954.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 29,308 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Mertens,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Franz Carl Mertens 1764–1831 · head teacher -
Frans Hendrik Mertens 1796–1867 · librarian
-
Franz Mertens 1840–1927 · mathematician -
Evariste Mertens 1846–1907 · architect -
Charles Mertens 1865–1919 · illustrator
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 211 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Mertens.
- Mero 1,750 · U.S. census
- Meron 235 · U.S. census
- Merry 3,704 · U.S. census
- Mersch 801 · U.S. census
- Merson 1,034 · U.S. census
- Merten 1,769 · U.S. census
- Mertes 1,728 · U.S. census
- Mertz 7,841 · U.S. census
- Merville 108 · U.S. census
- Mery 376 · U.S. census
- Merz 4,321 · U.S. census
- Mesa 13,566 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Mertens 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.