An English and Scottish surname, the Mercer name came from the Latin term ‘mercarius’ and the Old French terms ‘mercier’ and ‘merchier’ which all refer to a merchant, products, goods, and trader. It later English history the Mercer name referred to a dealer in silk and velvet fabrics. The spelling variations for Mercer include Merchier, Marcer, Marker Merces, Merser and Mercies. Across most of England are families with the Mercer family name. The higher populations of Mercers are in Yorkshire, the city of London, Kent and especially in Lancashire county. In Scotland there are many Mercer families, most concentrated in Fife, Midlothian, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, East Lothian, Stirlingshire and Peeblesshire. Within the United States the Mercer families originated in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Georgia and Kentucky. Famous: John Mercer (English 18th century fabric painter and early chemist), Tommy Mercer (professional wrestler), Bill Mercer (sports broadcaster), Rick Mercer (Canadian comic), Johnny Mercer (songwriter and singer), Henry Chapman Mercer (designer and collector for the Mercer Museum in PA with artifacts of early America), Marian Mercer (actress), Mike Mercer (professional basketball player), William Mercer (17th century Scottish poet), James Mercer (musician and signer), Hugh W. Mercer (Civil War Confederate General) and Sam Mercer (movie film producer).