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Merrill Family History

Merrill Surname Meaning

Welsh and English: from a female personal name of Celtic origin found in Welsh as Meriel and Meryl and in Irish as Muirgheal earlier Muirgel (‘sea-bright’). English: habitational name from one or more of the many places whose names derive from Middle English mirie merie murie ‘merry pleasant’ (Old English myrge) + hill hell hull ‘hill’ (Old English hyll) including two places called Merry Hill in Staffordshire and a third in Hertfordshire.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Merrill family from?

You can see how Merrill families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Merrill family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Merrill families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 248 Merrill families living in Yorkshire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Merrill's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Merrill families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Merrill surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Merrill ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Merrill. 12% of Merrill men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Merrill women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Merrill were Gardener and Housewife.

View Census Data for Merrill | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Bricklayer
    12%
  • Farm Labourer
    8%
  • Gardener
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Merrill family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 213,000 census records available for the last name Merrill. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Merrill census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Merrill

Passenger Lists

There are 17,000 immigration records available for the last name Merrill. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Merrill immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 50,000 military records available for the last name Merrill. For the veterans among your Merrill ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Merrill military records

You've only scratched the surface of Merrill family history

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What is the average Merrill lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Merrill life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Merrill in 1944 was 25, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Merrill

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Merrill ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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