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Merritt Family History

Merritt Name Meaning

English: variant of Merriott Marriott or Marritt. The last of these is most often a variant of Merriott or Marriott but possibly in some instances from Middle English Marret or Merret a syncopated form of Margaret Mergeret.

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


Similar surnames: Herriott, Merrick, Skerritt, Burritt, Merrill, Errett, Merrett

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Merritt family from?

You can see how Merritt families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Merritt family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Merritt families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 346 Merritt families living in Ontario. This was about 65% of all the recorded Merritt's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Merritt families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Merritt surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Merritt ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Merritt. 46% of Merritt men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Merritt women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Merritt were Carpenter and C Servant. .

View Census Data for Merritt | 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
    46%
  • Labourer
    14%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    19%
  • Income
    14%
  • Housekeeper
    14%
  • C Servant
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Merritt family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 236,000 census records available for the last name Merritt. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Merritt census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Merritt

Passenger Lists

There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Merritt. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 60,000 military records available for the last name Merritt. For the veterans among your Merritt ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Merritt lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Merritt life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Merritt in 1941 was 33, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Merritt

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