2000
#17,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,510
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Mero
A Spanish surname probably derived from an ancestral nickname referring to being dark or brown-skinned.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,753 Americans carry the last name Mero. That puts it at #18,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 195,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mero 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.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 195,524
Census rank
#18,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,529 bearers of the surname Mero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mero, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.0%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mero
The surname MERO is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is likely derived from the Latin word "merus," meaning pure or unmixed. This could indicate that the name was initially associated with individuals who produced or traded in high-quality wines or other products.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MERO can be found in the archives of the Republic of Venice, dating back to the 14th century. A merchant named Giovanni MERO is mentioned in a document from 1367, suggesting that the family may have been involved in trade and commerce during that era.
In the 15th century, the MERO name appeared in the records of the city of Genoa, where a noble family by that name held significant influence and wealth. One notable member was Luca MERO (1428-1497), a wealthy banker and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and charitable institutions in the region.
During the Renaissance period, the MERO name gained further prominence in the arts and sciences. Francesco MERO (1556-1619) was a renowned painter and architect from Milan, known for his frescoes adorning many churches and palaces across northern Italy.
As the MERO family expanded and migrated to other parts of Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as MERI, MERY, and MEREAU. One particularly notable figure was Jean-Baptiste MEREAU (1768-1835), a French composer and music theorist who made significant contributions to the development of early Romantic music.
In the 19th century, the MERO name crossed the Atlantic, with several families settling in the Americas. One of the earliest arrivals was Antonio MERO (1812-1889), an Italian immigrant who established a successful winery in California during the Gold Rush era.
Throughout history, the MERO surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, nobles, artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs. While the name's origins can be traced back to Italy, its legacy has spread across continents and cultures, leaving an indelible mark on the tapestry of human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mero
Among Census respondents with the surname Mero, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.0%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mero 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 Mero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.6% · 804
- Hispanic or Latino40.0% · 611
- Black or African American3.1% · 48
- Two or more races2.2% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mero
Mero 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
#16,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,750
+240 bearers (+15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 823 places
2020
#18,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,529
-221 bearers (-12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 1,568 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,260 | 1,510 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,437 | 1,750 | 0.59 | +240 bearers (+15.9%) | Up 823 places |
| 2020 | #18,005 | 1,529 | 0.51 | -221 bearers (-12.6%) | Down 1,568 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 Mero 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 | #16,437 | #18,005 | -9.5% |
| Count | 1,750 | 1,529 | -12.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.51 | -13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mero bearers went from 1,750 to 1,529 (-12.6% change). The surname moved down 1,568 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,437 to #18,005.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mero
FAQ
Mero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mero?
Name Census estimates that about 1,753 living Americans carry the surname Mero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 195,524 residents.
How common is Mero?
Mero ranks #18,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,529 people with the surname Mero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,753), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mero.
Has Mero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mero went from 1,750 recorded bearers to 1,529. That is a decrease of 221 (-12.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,437 to #18,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Mero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mero, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.0%) and Black (3.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.6% (804 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.6%), Hispanic (40.0%), Black (3.1%). 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 Mero (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 Mero mean?
A Spanish surname probably derived from an ancestral nickname referring to being dark or brown-skinned. 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 Mero (0.51 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 people are called Mero?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Mero at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.