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Merchant Family History

Merchant Name Meaning

English: occupational name for a buyer and seller of goods from Old French Middle English march(e)ant Late Latin mercatans (see Marchand ). Indian (Gujarat and Mumbai): Muslim and Parsi occupational name for a trader from the English vocabulary word merchant.

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


Similar surnames: Marchand, Marchant, Marciante, Dechant, Marchal, Morant, Demerchant

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Where is the Merchant family from?

You can see how Merchant families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Merchant family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Merchant families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 42 Merchant families living in Ontario. This was about 58% of all the recorded Merchant's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Merchant families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Merchant surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Merchant ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Merchant. 61% of Merchant men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Merchant women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Merchant were Carpenter and Weaver. .

View Census Data for Merchant | 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
    61%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    50%
  • Stenographer
    25%
  • Weaver
    25%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Merchant family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 241,000 census records available for the last name Merchant. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Merchant census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Merchant

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Merchant. 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 Merchant immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Merchant. For the veterans among your Merchant ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Merchant military records

You've only scratched the surface of Merchant family history

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What is the average Merchant lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Merchant life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Merchant in 1942 was 24, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Merchant

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Merchant family tree

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