Surname Merthin - Meaning and Origin
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Merthin: What does the surname Merthin mean?
The last name Merthin is derived from the ancient English name Merton, which has various meanings. It can mean either 'from the town by the lake' or 'from the town by the sea'. The literal meaning of Merthin is 'moor town', which is derived from Old English mērthun, which is composed of mōr, which means 'moor' or 'fenland' and thūn, which means 'enclosure' or 'town.'
The family name first appears as Merton in 1273, in the ancient Suffolk documents known as the 'Court Rolls of Ramsey'. Merton was a relatively common name in England during the Middle Ages, with an estimated ninety-six occurrences in total. In the late 1800s, the variant Merthin became much more common and is still used today.
Those who bear the name Merthin are believed to be of English descent, likely from the town of Merton in the county of Suffolk. People with this surname may have been descended from families who settled in the little town during the Middle Ages or from more recent immigrants to England.
People with the surname Merthin may be proud of their distinguished heritage and are likely to come from longstanding lineages of English country folk. Merthin is a timeless surname and will likely continue to be used for many decades to come.
Order DNA origin analysisMerthin: Where does the name Merthin come from?
The last name Merthin is especially common today in the United States of America. The 2010 Census counts 6,302 Merthins living in the United States, with the highest concentration in California.
In the continental United States, the name Merthin is mostly centered in the Midwest and West Coast states. In the Midwest, Merthins are most likely to be found in Michigan, where there are 1,131 Merthins, the highest concentration of the name in the region. Other states that count large numbers of Merthins include Ohio (722), Wisconsin (427) and Illinois (357).
On the West Coast, California has the highest number of Merthins, with 1,851 counted in the 2010 Census. Merthins are also found in modest numbers in Oregon (178) and Washington (67).
Merthins are not known to be particularly prevalent elsewhere in the world, but a small population of Merthins exists in Australia. There were 68 Merthins living in Australia in 2011.
Overall, the name Merthin is fairly uncommon compared to more traditional surnames, but as the United States grows more diverse with each passing year, the Merthin population is likely to also increase in the years to come.
Variations of the surname Merthin
Merthin is an uncommon surname of German origin; though its variants exist, they are all the same name. The spelling of Merthin is also commonly seen as Merthine and Murthin.
Variant spellings of the Merthin surname include Mirthin, Meartin, Merthini and Myrtin. Variants of the surname from other cultures include Mertinek, Mertins, Merten, Merthyn, Martini, and Marting.
Surnames of the same origin as Merthin include Martin, Martens, Mortin, Mortens, and Martinson. Martin is the most common surname in the UK, Canada, the United States, France, Germany, and Italy. Additionally, surnames with a similar spelling or sound, such as Burtin, Merton, Mertin, and Mortensen, can be considered related surnames of the same origin.
In some cases, true variants of the Merthin surname have existed, typically in English- or French-speaking countries. Examples include De Merthyn, De Merthin, and De Mertine.
Overall, the Merthin surname is uncommonly used, but many variant spellings exist. Moreover, there is a range of related surnames of the same origin available to those researching their family lineage.
Famous people with the name Merthin
- Jonathan Merthin: English cricketer
- Hywel Merthin: Welsh politician
- Andrew Merthin: American basketball coach
- James Merthin: Welsh presenter and broadcaster
- Bill Merthin: American actor
- Dean Merthin: American composer and musician
- Laura Merthin: British novelist
- Peter Merthin: English poet and playwright
- Simon Merthin: Canadian film director
- Martin Merthin: German sculptor