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Merriam Family History

Merriam Name Meaning

English: habitational name from an unidentified place called Meryham apparently in east Sussex but now lost. The placename may derive from Old English myrig ‘merry pleasant’ + hām ‘village homestead’ or hamm ‘water meadow’.

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


Similar surnames: Merritt, Merrill, Merrick, Mepham, Merriman, Derham, Herring, Markham

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Merriam family from?

You can see how Merriam families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Merriam family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Merriam families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 36 Merriam families living in Ontario. This was about 51% of all the recorded Merriam's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Merriam families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Merriam surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Merriam ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Merriam. 32% of Merriam men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Merriam women worked as a Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Merriam | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    32%
  • Mariner
    13%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Merchant
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Merriam family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Merriam. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Merriam census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Merriam

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Merriam. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Merriam immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Merriam. For the veterans among your Merriam ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Merriam military records

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What is the average Merriam lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Merriam life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Merriam in 1948 was 50, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Merriam

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