Merrill

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family name of English origin, also used as a first name, borne by several notable people in American public life and literature
2. A surname of English origin that is also given as a first name, shared by a number of prominent figures in politics and the arts
3. An English-derived family name, also used as a personal given name, carried by various well-known individuals across American history

Etymology: Merrill began as a medieval variant of Muriel, the name of a Breton-derived saint's name that reached England through Norman French. The form Muriel itself is a Continental name whose spelling and sound shifted over the centuries, so that one name could appear in several shapes across parish records and family papers. Merrill is simply one of those shapes, and it survives today mainly as a surname and as a given name.