Merce History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The prestigious French surname Merce 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 Merce is derived from the name Marchand, which is derived from the Latin and Old French words for merchant.

Early Origins of the Merce family

The surname Merce 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 Merce family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Merce 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 Merce History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Merce 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 Merce family

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

Merce migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Merce Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Merce, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Merce (post 1700) +

Antonia Mercé (1890-1936), Spanish dancer
Merce Cunningham (1919-2009), American choreographer and dancer

Citations +

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)