MERRYWEATHER
Recorded variant spellings include Merry Weather
Merryweather is an English surname of occupational name origin, derived from the Middle English words merry, meaning joyful or cheerful, and weather, meaning season or climate. It was originally a nickname bestowed upon a person who possessed a cheerful or optimistic disposition.
The earliest documented instance of the name is found in the Curia Rolls of Bedfordshire, dated 1214, for a man named Henry Meriweder. This appears during the reign of King John, who held the title Lackland from 1199 to 1216. The spelling in this record demonstrates the early form of the surname.
Over the centuries, a number of spelling variants have emerged: Merrywether, Merriweather, Mereweather, Merriwether and Meriweather. These variations arose through dialectal influence and transcriptional difference, but all are recognised as descendent forms of the same original nickname.
A coat of arms is generally associated with the name. Its blazon features a silver shield, with the sea shown at its base and a dolphin embowed proper. The chief is blue and bears three gold mullets, described as knights spurs, which signify distinction in battle. The crest is a gold fleur-de-lis, and the motto displayed is Marte et arte, translating as By valour and skill.
Although the surname remains predominantly found within England, migration has caused it to spread to other English‑speaking nations. In the contemporary United States, public records indicate that the concentration of the surname is highest in the states of California, Ohio and Texas.
Variants of the name also appear in literature and history, such as the reference in the 1752 Coventry Mystery to Issac Merryweather of St. Matthew's, Friday Street, London, where he is recorded as marrying Susannah Fry.
Notable modern bearers of the surname include the Australian cricketer Charles Merryweather (1827–1865) and the British suffragist Florence Merryweather, who campaigned for women’s voting rights during the early twentieth century. These individuals exemplify the continued use of the surname in contemporary society.
Typical given names associated with the Merryweather surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- James
- John
- Lee
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
Female
- Angela
- Ann
- Avril
- Clare
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jane
- Janice
- Joanne
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Michele
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Merryweather in...
Braille
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Morse
--..-..-.-.--.--..--......-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,312 people named Merryweather in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,966th most common surname in Britain. Around 20 in a million people in Britain are named Merryweather.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Merryweather
- James Merryweather - Cricketer (1929 to 2000)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.