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Merchant Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Merchant last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Merchant coat of arms for you.

Meaning and origin of the Merchant last name

Meaning of the Merchant last name: trader. Merchant is an English surname from Old French marchant, "trader", for a dealer in goods. It is found in southern England, and Marchant is a common variant. The film producer Ismail Merchant, of Merchant Ivory, and the comedian Stephen Merchant carry this last name.

Arms associated with the Merchant name

In English heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Merchant name are described in a blazon, a short formal text.

Get your full Merchant family history

This is only a glimpse of the Merchant story. The full Merchant history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Merchant coat of arms. Get the full Merchant report.

Merchant name FAQ

What does the Merchant name mean?

Trader. Common variants include Marchant.

Where does the Merchant surname come from?

It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Is there a Merchant coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Merchant coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.

Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).