NameCensus.

UK surname

Merry

Derived from a nickname for a happy or pleasant person, from the Middle English word "merry."

In the 1881 census there were 2,239 people recorded with the Merry surname, ranking it #1,987 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,304, ranked #2,058, down from #1,987 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St John Hackney and Nuneaton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Nuneaton and Bedworth and Blaby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Merry is 3,518 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.6%.

1881 census count

2,239

Ranked #1,987

Modern count

3,304

2016, ranked #2,058

Peak year

2000

3,518 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Merry had 2,239 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,987 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,304 in 2016, ranked #2,058.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,877 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Merry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Merry surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Merry 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 1,566 #1,838
1861 historical 1,462 #1,942
1881 historical 2,239 #1,987
1891 historical 2,350 #1,999
1901 historical 2,843 #1,957
1911 historical 2,877 #1,809
1997 modern 3,217 #2,002
1998 modern 3,454 #1,938
1999 modern 3,489 #1,945
2000 modern 3,518 #1,928
2001 modern 3,435 #1,929
2002 modern 3,502 #1,936
2003 modern 3,420 #1,936
2004 modern 3,400 #1,948
2005 modern 3,334 #1,958
2006 modern 3,309 #1,977
2007 modern 3,304 #2,006
2008 modern 3,300 #2,026
2009 modern 3,374 #2,032
2010 modern 3,460 #2,015
2011 modern 3,429 #2,007
2012 modern 3,366 #2,003
2013 modern 3,383 #2,031
2014 modern 3,375 #2,047
2015 modern 3,328 #2,050
2016 modern 3,304 #2,058

Geography

Back to top

Where Merrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St John Hackney, Nuneaton and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Blaby and Rotherham. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
4 Nuneaton Warwickshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
2 Nuneaton and Bedworth 006 Nuneaton and Bedworth
3 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
4 Blaby 010 Blaby
5 Rotherham 028 Rotherham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Merry

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Merry

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Merry, 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 Merry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Merry 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, Merry 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

Merry is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Merry falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Merry 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 Merry, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Merry

The surname Merry is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "myrige," which means "pleasant" or "cheerful." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone with a joyful or merry disposition.

The earliest known record of the surname Merry dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire, where a person named William Merry is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists individuals named Merry residing in various counties across England.

During the 13th century, the surname Merry was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. These areas were home to several families bearing this name, as evidenced by various historical records and documents from that period.

One notable individual with the surname Merry was Sir William Merry, a prominent merchant and alderman of London who lived in the late 14th century. He was known for his involvement in the Wool Trade and served as the Sheriff of London in 1387.

Another historical figure bearing the name Merry was Thomas Merry, a Welsh clergyman and scholar born in 1594. He was appointed as the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in Ireland and made significant contributions to the translation of the Bible into Welsh.

In the 17th century, the surname Merry gained further recognition with the birth of Robert Merry in 1755. He was an English poet and writer who authored several works, including "The Laurel of Liberty" and "The Pains of Memory."

The name Merry has also been associated with various places in England. For instance, the village of Merry Hill in the West Midlands county of Dudley derives its name from the Merry family, who were once landowners in the area. Similarly, the town of Merryworth in Kent is believed to have originated from the Old English words "myrige" and "worth," meaning "pleasant estate."

Throughout history, the surname Merry has been recorded with various spellings, such as Merrie, Merrey, and Merie. These variations were common in earlier times due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

While the surname Merry has been present across various regions of England, it has also been documented in other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland, although its origins can be traced back to the English roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Merry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Merry 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. Middlesex leads with 339 Merrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.55x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 339 1.55x
Cambridgeshire 140 10.12x
Oxfordshire 132 9.79x
Lancashire 116 0.45x
Warwickshire 113 2.05x
Lanarkshire 111 1.57x
Ayrshire 108 6.61x
Derbyshire 95 2.78x
Staffordshire 81 1.10x
Yorkshire 81 0.37x
Surrey 75 0.71x
Leicestershire 72 2.97x
Norfolk 70 2.09x
Gloucestershire 65 1.52x
Northamptonshire 59 2.87x
Essex 57 1.32x
Worcestershire 47 1.65x
Buckinghamshire 45 3.41x
Nottinghamshire 36 1.22x
Kent 35 0.47x
Cheshire 33 0.68x
Hertfordshire 30 1.99x
Huntingdonshire 24 5.54x
Somerset 24 0.68x
Glamorgan 23 0.61x
Devon 20 0.44x
Sussex 18 0.49x
Berkshire 16 0.98x
Cumberland 16 0.85x
Rutland 16 9.98x
Midlothian 13 0.44x
Monmouthshire 13 0.82x
Lincolnshire 12 0.34x
Argyllshire 11 1.81x
Renfrewshire 11 0.65x
Bedfordshire 10 0.88x
Kirkcudbrightshire 10 3.16x
Suffolk 9 0.34x
Dunbartonshire 8 1.36x
Durham 7 0.11x
Stirlingshire 7 0.87x
Hampshire 6 0.13x
Herefordshire 6 0.67x
Dorset 5 0.35x
Buteshire 3 2.27x
Channel Islands 2 0.31x
Northumberland 2 0.06x
Royal Navy 2 0.77x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.14x
Perthshire 1 0.10x
Shropshire 1 0.05x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 41 Merrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.95x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 41 6.95x
Nuneaton 36 56.44x
West Ham 36 3.78x
Ashton In Makerfield 30 40.67x
Govan 30 1.72x
Stoke Upon Trent 28 3.58x
Dalziel 27 35.55x
Cherry Hinton 26 400.00x
Auckinleck 24 47.45x
Hackney London 24 1.96x
Barony 23 1.29x
Shoreditch London 23 2.43x
Fulham London 22 6.95x
Kensington London 22 1.81x
Redditch 22 38.06x
Westbury On Severn East 22 22.73x
Nottingham St Mary 21 2.76x
Eynsham 20 234.47x
Islington London 20 0.95x
Kilmarnock 20 10.28x
Leeds 19 1.56x
St Marylebone London 19 1.63x
Bethnal Green London 18 1.90x
Birmingham 17 0.93x
Bromley London 17 3.54x
Godmanchester 17 103.66x
Brightside Bierlow 16 3.77x
Leicester St Mary 16 8.18x
Coveney 15 410.96x
Lambeth 15 0.79x
Burton Upon Trent 14 8.12x
Edmonton 14 7.96x
Newland 14 38.91x
St Pancras London 14 0.80x
Coventry St Michael 13 7.35x
Feckenham 13 39.84x
Orwell 13 217.03x
Chadderton 12 9.48x
Hemel Hempstead 12 17.70x
Middleton Cheney 12 134.08x
Old Cumnock 12 32.99x
Oxford St Giles 12 18.66x
St George Hanover 12 4.21x
Tutbury 12 66.78x
West Lynn 12 279.07x
Aston 11 0.73x
Brackley St Peter 11 78.07x
Derby St Peter 11 10.10x
Hammersmith London 11 2.05x
Linslade 11 85.07x
Monks Coppenhall 11 6.05x
Penge 11 7.89x
Rutherglen 11 10.62x
St Andrewthe Less 11 6.96x
St Luke London 11 3.14x
Tonbridge 11 4.09x
Torosay 11 179.45x
Abbey 10 3.87x
Ardwick 10 4.28x
Ayr 10 12.97x
Battersea 10 1.24x
Birkenhead 10 2.60x
Camberwell 10 0.72x
Derby St Werburgh 10 5.07x
Hanslope 10 84.32x
Holton 10 564.97x
Lanark 10 17.60x
Manchester 10 0.86x
Mauchline 10 53.25x
Norwich St Augustine 10 73.91x
Shirland 10 39.11x
Tottenham 10 2.88x
W Adderbury 10 300.30x
Whittlesford 10 157.73x
Ashwell 9 76.21x
Broad Clist 9 57.40x
Everton 9 1.09x
Irongray 9 153.32x
Mile End Old Town 9 2.61x
Riccarton 9 36.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 143
Elizabeth 74
Sarah 73
Alice 35
Ann 32
Ellen 32
Emma 32
Annie 30
Eliza 30
Jane 30
Louisa 23
Emily 22
Hannah 20
Martha 20
Margaret 18
Harriet 16
Susan 14
Ada 13
Edith 13
Charlotte 12
Kate 11
Maria 11
Catherine 10
Fanny 10
Agnes 9
Amelia 8
Clara 8
Florence 8
Caroline 7
Elizth. 7
Esther 7
Julia 7
Isabella 6
Lydia 6
Rose 6
Amy 5
Ethel 5
Harriett 5
Lizzie 5
Susannah 5
Anna 4
Anne 4
Bertha 4
Eleanor 4
Ester 4
Frances 4
Gertrude 4
Grace 4
Matilda 4
Maud 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 130
John 115
Thomas 77
George 71
James 52
Henry 37
Arthur 29
Charles 29
Joseph 28
Robert 25
Alfred 24
Edward 22
Frederick 22
Richard 19
Albert 18
Walter 17
Herbert 11
Frank 10
Edwin 9
Harry 9
Samuel 9
David 8
Ernest 8
Tom 8
Wm. 8
Francis 7
Thos. 7
Benjamin 4
Fredrick 4
Matthew 4
Nathan 4
Stephen 4
Andrew 3
Geo. 3
Willm. 3
Alexander 2
Archibald 2
Chandler 2
Frederic 2
Harold 2
Hy. 2
Jno. 2
Mark 2
Martin 2
Michael 2
Patrick 2
Peter 2
Richd. 2
Robt. 2
Victor 2

FAQ

Merry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Merry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,239 people were recorded with the Merry surname. That placed it at #1,987 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Merry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,304 in 2016. That gives Merry a modern rank of #2,058.

What does the Merry surname mean?

Derived from a nickname for a happy or pleasant person, from the Middle English word "merry."

What does the Merry map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Merry 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.