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Merton Family History

Merton Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from one or more of the many places called Merton such as found in Surrey, Kent, Devon, Oxfordshire, and Norfolk. The placename derives from Old English mere ‘pool’ + tūn ‘farmstead, estate’.

There has probably been some confusion with both Marton and Murton.

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


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Where is the Merton family from?

You can see how Merton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Merton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Merton families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 115 Merton families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Merton's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Merton families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Merton 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 Merton 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 Merton. 20% of Merton men worked as a General Labourer and 82% of Merton women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Merton were Incapacitated and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Merton | 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
    20%
  • Farm Labourer
    14%
  • Heavy Worker
    14%
  • Incapacitated
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

What Merton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Merton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Merton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Merton

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Merton. 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 Merton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Merton. For the veterans among your Merton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Merton military records

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