Surname Mergard - Meaning and Origin
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Mergard: What does the surname Mergard mean?
The last name Mergard is a patronymic surname derived from the name “Marc”, which is a common first name in many parts of Europe. The name “Marc” is a variant of the Latin name Marcus, and ultimately derived from the name Mars, the god of war. Because of this, Mergard is often thought of as a surname that signifies bravery.
The last name Mergard is believed to have initially been found in the regions of Southern Germany, before making its way to other countries. It is also considered to be quite uncommon, and often found in isolated cultural regions. In its original German form, 'Mergard' translates to 'guard of the sea'. This could be because the name was adopted by people who worked near the ocean, using their name to signify to others that they were an individual in charge of protecting the coast. In other cases, the name does not refer to a specific occupation, but rather to one’s ability or bravery, or even an ancestor’s bravery in some cases.
From Germany, the surname Mergard was taken up by people of various other nationalities, most prominently Dutch and Swedish. In Scandinavian countries, the name was often spelled “Mergardt”, while elsewhere it was mostly spelled “Mergard”. All in all, the meaning of the last name Mergard is still highly contested, but it is likely that it always symbolizes bravery in some way.
Order DNA origin analysisMergard: Where does the name Mergard come from?
Mergard is a very uncommon surname today, but is thought to have originated in Germany. The surname is also recorded in Canada, as well as parts of the United States. In recent times, the surname is most commonly associated with residents of the United States, particularly in areas such as Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
In the United States, the Mergard surname is found more often in the midwestern states. The states with the highest concentration of Mergard are Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Records indicate that the most significant cluster of Mergard residents is found in Michigan.
The first Mergard to immigrate to the United States was Johannes Mergard who arrived in New York on April 4, 1710 and lived in Pennsylvania. He was likely a Puritan or a Mennonite, as he shared his journey with other members of that same faith. Many other Mergard's followed him in his footsteps and established themselves in America, with the majority settling down in Michigan.
Mergard is still a very uncommon name, but it is still spreading across the United States. Today, the majority of Mergards in the United States live in midwestern states such as Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Indiana. It is highly likely that, as the population continues to move and expand, this surname will continue to spread even further across the United States.
Variations of the surname Mergard
Mergard is a German-language surname, with various alternative spellings and variants. The most common variant is Mergarten, which has the same literal meaning as Mergard but is also used interchangeably with Mergard in some cases. Other variants include Murgardt, Margard, Margart, Murgard, Mergart, Murgarda, Margarda, and Mergerd.
Mergard is believed to be derived from an occupational surname for people working with ‘meres’, which is an old word for ‘ponds’ or ‘pools’. It could have also been assigned to someone living near a particular body of water or someone who made a living by fishing or maintaining fish-ponds.
Most likely, the surname comes from the Old High German words ‘mari’ or ‘mire’, which means ‘sea’, ‘marsh’, or ‘lake’, combined with ‘gart’ or ‘gard’, which means ‘enclosure’. This literal meaning suggests that the original bearer of the surname lived near a walled-in area of water.
Another theory suggests that the surname is derived from the French term ‘maigre’, which means ‘lean or thin’, and is the likely origin for Mergard's English variant surname called Maigard.
Surnames of the same origin as Mergard include Mairgand, Maragard, Mirgarden, Margerdt, Meergarten, Merarding, Mergarth, Mergarther, and Mergrardt.
Famous people with the name Mergard
- Robert Mergard: German communist politician and Leader of the United Communist Party of Germany (KPD) 1929-1931.
- Francis Mergard: British politician of the 19th century, alderman of Wakefield and West Riding of Yorkshire and a Justice of the Peace.
- Karl Mergard: German World War One air ace and recipient of the Order of the Red Eagle 5th Class.
- Steffen Mergard: German mathematician and academic author, renowned logician and mathematician.
- Carl Mergard: American formation flying aerobatics pilot, film producer and aerial stunt pilot.
- Johan Mergard: Swedish archivist, scholar and philologist of the 17th century.
- Dr. Lina Mergard: German astronomer and lecturer on astronomy, assistant at the astrophysical observatory at Sonnenberg.
- Johann Mergard: 19th century Austrian history painter and landscape artist, highly respected by his contemporaries.
- Christian Mergard: Danish playwright and author of articles, plays and movies from the 1940s.
- Christian Mergard: Austrian Jesuit missionary and professor of sciences in the18th century.