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Irish surname

Merrick: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Meibhric / Meiric (also Mac Meibhric) · 'son of Merick' (the Norman form of the Welsh Meurug)

Woulfe (1923) gives Merrick as an anglicised form of Meibhric or Meiric, 'son of Merick' (the Norman form of the Welsh Meurug), and says the family settled at an early period in Co. Mayo. Under Mac Meibhric he calls it the name of a family of Welsh origin who settled in the valley of Glenhest, west of Glen Nephin, Co. Mayo. In 1890 Matheson counts 7 Merrick birth entries in Ireland including spelling varieties (6 spelled Merrick).

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Coat of arms associated with the Merrick surname
Irish formMeibhric / Meiric (also Mac Meibhric)
Meaning'son of Merick' (the Norman form of the Welsh Meurug)
CountiesMayo
Other spellings2

Origin of the Merrick name

Woulfe: Meibhric, Meiric, 'son of Merick' (the Norman form of the Welsh Meurug); 'This family settled at an early period in Co. Mayo.' Under Mac Meibhric: 'a family of Welsh origin who settled in the valley of Glenhest, to the west of Glen Nephin, Co. Mayo.'[1][2]

  1. 1272Four Masters: Henry Butler, Lord of Umallia, and Hosty Merrick were slain by Cathal, son of Conor Roe, and the Clann-Murtough O'Conor.[5]
  2. 1337Four Masters: Donnell Roe O'Malley and his son Cormac were slain by Clann-Merrick and other Englishmen.[6]
  3. 18907 Merrick birth entries in Ireland including spelling varieties (6 spelled Merrick).[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. MayoWoulfe: the family settled early in Co. Mayo, in the valley of Glenhest.[1][2]

Other spellings

Meyrick · Mayrick[1][2][4]

The Merrick coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Merrick surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Merrick crest gifts

Clan Merrick Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapTM99 Classic Cap - Merrick Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Merrick Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Merrick Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap EH68 Merrick Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Merrick Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Merrick surname: questions

What does the surname Merrick mean?

Woulfe gives Meibhric or Meiric as 'son of Merick', the Norman form of the Welsh personal name Meurug.[1]

Is Merrick an Irish surname?

Woulfe describes it as the name of a family of Welsh origin who settled in the valley of Glenhest, west of Glen Nephin, Co. Mayo; he says the family settled in Mayo at an early period.[1][2]

Is Merrick the same as Meyrick?

Woulfe prints Meyrick, Mayrick and Merrick together as forms of Meibhric and Mac Meibhric, and Matheson's 1901 list gives Meyrick: Mayrick, Merrick.[1][2][4]

Is there an older record of the Merrick name in Ireland?

Four Masters: the entry for 1272 names Hosty Merrick among those slain, and the entry for 1337 mentions Clann-Merrick, described there with other Englishmen.[5][6]

Sources

  1. Meibhric, Meiric — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mai/meibhric-meiric.php
  2. Mac Meibhric, Mac Meiric, Mac Míbhric — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macm/mac-meibhric-mac-meiric-mac-mibhric.php
  3. Merrick — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/merrick.php
  4. Meyrick (list 1520) — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1520.php
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1272 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text011.html
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1337 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text017.html

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).