NameCensus.

UK surname

Merrett

A surname derived from the old French word "merette" meaning "little bitter one".

In the 1881 census there were 1,831 people recorded with the Merrett surname, ranking it #2,375 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,909, ranked #3,329, down from #2,375 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Trowbridge and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, Gloucester and Coventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Merrett is 2,366 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.3%.

1881 census count

1,831

Ranked #2,375

Modern count

1,909

2016, ranked #3,329

Peak year

1911

2,366 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Merrett had 1,831 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,375 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,909 in 2016, ranked #3,329.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,366 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Merrett surname distribution map

The map shows where the Merrett surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Merrett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Merrett over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,183 #2,397
1861 historical 902 #3,070
1881 historical 1,831 #2,375
1891 historical 1,704 #2,653
1901 historical 2,087 #2,570
1911 historical 2,366 #2,163
1997 modern 2,029 #3,023
1998 modern 2,103 #3,034
1999 modern 2,127 #3,031
2000 modern 2,098 #3,048
2001 modern 2,042 #3,059
2002 modern 2,082 #3,069
2003 modern 2,036 #3,072
2004 modern 2,023 #3,083
2005 modern 1,956 #3,152
2006 modern 1,938 #3,182
2007 modern 1,938 #3,203
2008 modern 1,951 #3,203
2009 modern 2,006 #3,204
2010 modern 2,032 #3,235
2011 modern 2,014 #3,221
2012 modern 1,977 #3,216
2013 modern 1,983 #3,265
2014 modern 1,976 #3,296
2015 modern 1,925 #3,329
2016 modern 1,909 #3,329

Geography

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Where Merretts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Trowbridge, London parishes and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, Gloucester, Coventry and Monmouthshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Trowbridge Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 003 Stroud
2 Gloucester 002 Gloucester
3 Gloucester 009 Gloucester
4 Coventry 039 Coventry
5 Monmouthshire 010 Monmouthshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Merrett

These lists show first names that appear often with the Merrett surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Merrett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Merrett, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Merrett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Merrett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Merrett is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Merrett is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Merrett falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Merrett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Merrett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Merrett

The surname Merrett originated in England, deriving from an Old English pre-7th century personal name "Mæra" combined with the Old French suffix "et" denoting "little." The name Mæra meant "famous" or "celebrated." Alternate spellings included Merrit, Meritt, and Meriot.

The earliest recorded use of the name was found in the Domesday Book of 1086, referring to a landholder named Meriet in Gloucestershire. By the 13th century, Roger Meryet was documented in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273.

In the 14th century, a John Meriot held lands in Somerset, as recorded in the Kirby's Quest of 1328. The name Merrett also appeared in various place names, such as Merriott in Somerset, derived from "Mæra's hamlet."

Notable individuals with the surname Merrett include Christopher Merrett (1614-1695), an English physician and one of the founding members of the Royal Society. He is credited with introducing the word "biology" to the English language.

Henry Merrett (1822-1895) was a British horticulturist and botanist, known for his work on chrysanthemums and his role in establishing the National Chrysanthemum Society.

John Merrett (1614-1685) was an English scholar and author, best known for his work "Pinax Rerum Naturalium Britannicarum" published in 1667, which catalogued the natural history of Britain.

Thomas Merrett (1575-1654) was an English merchant and traveler who wrote accounts of his journeys to the East Indies and Persia in the early 17th century.

William Merrett (1839-1920) was a British engineer and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of early internal combustion engines and motorcycles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Merrett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Merrett surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Gloucestershire leads with 569 Merretts recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.26x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 569 16.26x
Wiltshire 252 15.97x
Hampshire 210 5.74x
Middlesex 185 1.04x
Surrey 151 1.74x
Sussex 83 2.76x
Somerset 62 2.16x
Kent 59 0.97x
Glamorgan 34 1.09x
Essex 27 0.77x
Yorkshire 27 0.15x
Cornwall 18 0.89x
Lancashire 16 0.08x
Monmouthshire 16 1.24x
Devon 15 0.40x
Staffordshire 14 0.23x
Oxfordshire 12 1.09x
Dorset 11 0.94x
Warwickshire 10 0.22x
Derbyshire 9 0.32x
Herefordshire 9 1.23x
Shropshire 9 0.58x
Cheshire 8 0.20x
Berkshire 7 0.52x
Lincolnshire 6 0.21x
Royal Navy 4 1.88x
Worcestershire 3 0.13x
Durham 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.05x
Midlothian 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gloucester Barton St Mary in Gloucestershire leads with 52 Merretts recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.21x.

Place Total Index
Gloucester Barton St Mary 52 81.21x
Portsea 47 6.56x
Corsham 42 182.45x
Lambeth 36 2.31x
Islington London 35 2.02x
Cheltenham 34 12.59x
Trowbridge 34 48.75x
Stroud 32 46.99x
Stonehouse 29 145.80x
Paddington London 26 3.96x
Arlingham 25 652.74x
Berkeley 21 107.86x
Hambledon 21 170.18x
West Ham 21 2.70x
Bethnal Green London 20 2.58x
Bridgewater 19 24.37x
Alton 18 65.31x
Dauntsey 18 610.17x
Elmore 17 787.04x
Market Lavington 17 199.06x
Almondsbury 16 119.76x
Catherington 16 198.27x
Westminster St John 16 7.36x
Wotton St Mary 16 88.15x
All Cannings 15 488.60x
Bedminster 15 5.56x
Bishopstoke 15 159.74x
Greenwich 15 5.28x
Haworth 15 35.70x
Painswick 15 60.61x
Potterne 15 212.16x
Roath 15 10.63x
Bishops Cannings 14 239.73x
Leckhampton 14 64.94x
Gloucester Barton St 13 63.38x
Hempstead 13 303.74x
Croydon 12 2.49x
Devizes St James 12 57.22x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 12 91.95x
Lydney 12 66.41x
Westbury On Severn 12 86.58x
Bermondsey 11 2.07x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 3.34x
Droxford 11 78.80x
Quedgley 11 376.71x
Randwick 11 159.42x
Shipley 11 161.29x
Wotton Under Edge 11 53.35x
Blendworth 10 549.45x
Bristol St James St Paul 10 8.57x
Charlton Kings 10 41.31x
Chatham 10 5.97x
Clapham 10 4.48x
Hardwicke 10 252.53x
Sutton 10 15.90x
Box 9 66.91x
Brighton 9 1.48x
Churchdown 9 129.31x
Deptford St Paul 9 1.92x
Grittleton 9 473.68x
Kensington London 9 0.91x
Slimbridge 9 172.74x
St Pancras London 9 0.63x
Stoke Damerel 9 3.46x
Walcot 9 5.88x
Washington 9 174.76x
Aston 8 0.65x
Broughton Gifford 8 213.90x
Durley 8 274.91x
Ifield 8 63.80x
Merthyr Tydfil 8 2.68x
Wotton Ville 8 240.96x
Aldershot 7 5.71x
Barrow In Furness 7 2.43x
Berkeley Hamfallow 7 110.58x
Mitcham 7 12.74x
Tangley 7 522.39x
Upleadon 7 492.96x
Walsall Foreign 7 2.25x
Wimbledon 7 7.17x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Merrett surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 121
Elizabeth 71
Sarah 63
Eliza 39
Emily 31
Ellen 30
Jane 30
Annie 29
Emma 29
Alice 26
Ann 26
Louisa 20
Kate 16
Edith 15
Martha 15
Florence 14
Harriet 14
Charlotte 13
Hannah 12
Ada 11
Clara 10
Harriett 10
Margaret 10
Maria 10
Anne 9
Susan 9
Caroline 8
Julia 8
Matilda 8
Selina 8
Amelia 7
Catherine 7
Fanny 7
Frances 7
Jessie 6
Lucy 6
Helen 5
Rose 5
Agnes 4
Beatrice 4
Laura 4
Lydia 4
Mabel 4
Eleanor 3
Ethel 3
Henrietta 3
Infant 3
Lilian 3
Lilly 3
Rosa 3

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Merrett surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 108
George 77
Henry 77
John 59
Thomas 57
Charles 56
James 56
Joseph 28
Alfred 24
Albert 18
Frederick 18
Harry 18
Arthur 16
Frank 15
Richard 14
Robert 14
Edward 13
Ernest 13
Walter 13
Samuel 12
Daniel 11
Edwin 10
Francis 9
David 8
Herbert 7
Geo. 6
Stephen 6
Jesse 4
Mark 4
Alexander 3
Edgar 3
Fred 3
Fredk. 3
Sidney 3
Wm. 3
Albt. 2
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Chas.F. 2
Eli 2
Fredr. 2
Hubert 2
Isaac 2
J. 2
Jacob 2
Job 2
Jonathan 2
Joshua 2
Maurice 2
Peter 2

FAQ

Merrett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Merrett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,831 people were recorded with the Merrett surname. That placed it at #2,375 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Merrett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,909 in 2016. That gives Merrett a modern rank of #3,329.

What does the Merrett surname mean?

A surname derived from the old French word "merette" meaning "little bitter one".

What does the Merrett map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Merrett bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.