Merriott Family History

English:: habitational name from Merriott in Somerset. The placename may derive from Old English mere miere ‘mare’ mere ‘pool’ or (ge)mǣre ‘boundary’ + geat ‘gate gap’. from the Middle English male personal name Meryet (Old English Mǣrgēat from mǣre ‘famous’ + Gēat a tribal name).

In post-medieval times both this surname and the placename in 1 above underwent changes in pronunciation sometimes by confusion with Marriott and often by losing the medial -i- or -y- hence Merritt Meritt and so on.