Merchant
An occupational surname for a trader or dealer.
The #2,455 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,015 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Merchant comes from Middle English marchaunt, from Old French marchant, meaning a trader or buyer and seller of goods. The French word goes back to Latin mercari, “to trade,” from merx, “goods” or “wares.” English writers sometimes also linked the surname with older native words for a dealer or trader, but the main surname source is the commercial occupation.
History
As a surname, Merchant belongs to the large class of occupational names given to people who worked in trade. It is found in medieval and later records in England, and the name has remained in use in Britain and North America. Some historical dictionaries also note older spellings and related forms such as Marchant.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same word that gave English the surname Merchant also lies behind modern words like merchandise and mercantile.
From the historical record
“or Descendant of Managan MANGER (Eng.) Merchant, Trader, Dealer [O.E. tnan{c)gere] Hvvaet s»gst );u, Mancgere ? Quid dicis tu, Mercator ?”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)