Merced History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland/England
France

The prestigious French surname Merced is a proud sign of a rich and dynamic ancestry. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Artois were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. As well as the names of the saints of the Christian Church, many of the most common French are derived from personal names of Germanic origin. They derive from the language of the Franks who controlled most of France after the fall of the Holy Roman Empire. The surname Merced is derived from the name Marchand, which is derived from the Latin and Old French words for merchant.

Early Origins of the Merced family

The surname Merced was first found in Artois, a former province of northern France.

Active in the events of the times, the family branched and held extensive lands in Paris, Berry, and Lorraine where they intermarried with many notable and important families. From there as ambassadors, diplomats and statesmen they founded branches in Geneva, Italy and Germany.

Amongst the many titles and lands they were awarded for their contributions to the King were de Beauepas, du Collenu, de L'Ecluse, de Maisoncelle, de Richemont, du Mas, de Malaval and de Touville, several of which were for their lands and estates in both Normandy and Bretagne.

Early History of the Merced family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Merced research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1400, 1497, 1608, 1689, 1734 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Merced History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Merced Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Mercier, Mercié, Merciait, Merciai, Merciaie, Merciay, Merciez, Mercyer, Mercyé, Mercyait, Mercyai, Mercyaie, Mercyay, Mercyez, Merciée, Mercyée, Merciaies, Mercyaies, Merciey, Mercyey, Merciest, Mercyest, Merciet, Mercyet, Mercereau and many more.

Early Notables of the Merced family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Merced Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Merced Ranking

In the United States, the name Merced is the 10,045^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Merced migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Merced Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jose Merced, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1842 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Merced (post 1700) +

Nelson Merced (b. 1947), American activist and politician, Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1989-1993)
Gabrielle Dela "Gaby" Merced (b. 1982), Filipina Formula Three racecar driver, model and TV personality
Wilnelia Merced (b. 1957), birth name of Lady Forsyth-Johnson, Puerto Rican actress, model and beauty queen, Miss World (1975)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)