2000
#4,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,480
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.77
Uncommon Last name
Merino
A surname of Spanish origin referring to a person who herded or sheared merino sheep.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,399 Americans carry the last name Merino. That puts it at #3,006 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,581 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Merino surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Merino with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 25,581
Census rank
#3,006
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,685 bearers of the surname Merino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3006th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Merino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Merino
The surname Merino is of Spanish origin, derived from the Latin word "merinus," which means a shepherd or someone who tends to sheep. This name originated in the region of Castile, Spain, during the Middle Ages.
The name Merino was initially associated with individuals who were involved in the sheep-rearing industry, particularly those who specialized in the breeding and cultivation of the Merino sheep, a breed renowned for its exceptionally fine wool. The Merino sheep were highly prized in Spain and played a significant role in the country's wool trade and textile industry.
In historical records, the earliest known reference to the Merino surname can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Juan Merino, a prominent wool merchant from the city of Segovia in the late 1200s. The Merino family's involvement in the wool trade contributed to their prosperity and influence in the region.
During the 15th century, the Merino name gained further prominence when Diego Merino, a renowned sheep breeder from Extremadura, developed techniques for improving the quality of Merino wool. His innovations helped establish Spain as a leading producer of high-quality wool, which was exported to other parts of Europe.
Another notable figure bearing the Merino surname was Pedro Merino, a Spanish military officer who played a crucial role in the Peninsular War against Napoleon's forces in the early 19th century. Born in 1770, he became a prominent guerrilla leader and is remembered for his bravery and strategic military campaigns.
In the realm of literature, Francisco Merino Ballesteros (1925-2008), a Spanish poet and essayist, gained recognition for his works that explored themes of existentialism and the human condition. His poetic works, such as "Cántico Espiritual" and "Tiempo Recobrado," earned him critical acclaim.
The Merino surname also spread beyond Spain's borders, with notable individuals bearing this name emerging in other parts of the world. One such example is Alejandro Merino (1877-1953), a Chilean diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the early 20th century.
While the surname Merino has its roots in the wool and sheep-rearing industry of medieval Spain, it has since evolved to encompass individuals from various backgrounds and professions, yet still retaining a connection to its historical origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Merino
Among Census respondents with the surname Merino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Merino bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Merino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.8% · 10,380
- White8.3% · 968
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 193
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 58
- Two or more races0.4% · 44
- Black or African American0.4% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Merino
Merino appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,684
+4,204 bearers (+56.2%)
Per 100,000 3.96
Rank movement Up 1,317 places
2020
#3,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,685
+1 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 3.91
Rank movement Up 67 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,390 | 7,480 | 2.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,073 | 11,684 | 3.96 | +4,204 bearers (+56.2%) | Up 1,317 places |
| 2020 | #3,006 | 11,685 | 3.91 | +1 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 67 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Merino surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,073 | #3,006 | 2.2% |
| Count | 11,684 | 11,685 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.96 | 3.91 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Merino bearers went from 11,684 to 11,685 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 67 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,073 to #3,006.
FAQ
Merino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Merino?
Name Census estimates that about 13,399 living Americans carry the surname Merino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,581 residents.
How common is Merino?
Merino ranks #3,006 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,685 people with the surname Merino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,399), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Merino.
Has Merino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Merino went from 11,684 recorded bearers to 11,685. That is an increase of 1 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,073 to #3,006.
What does the Census say about the background of Merino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Merino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Merino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (10,380 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Merino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.8%), White (8.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Merino (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Merino mean?
A surname of Spanish origin referring to a person who herded or sheared merino sheep. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Merino (3.91 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Merino?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.