An English surname, Merritt comes from the Old English terms ’miere’ and ‘maere’ which meant a boundary or a gate. The spelling variations for Merritt include Meryett, Merrett, Merriott, Merit, Merioth and Meritt. In England the Merritt families began in Somerset. They spread to Hampshire, Sussex, Wiltshire, Surrey, the city of London and then north to Lancashire and Yorkshire. In Scotland the Merritt families are centered in Aberdeenshire, along the east coast. Within the United States the Merritt families originated in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, California, Missouri and North Carolina. Famous: Josiah Merritt (19th century pioneer of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States), Michael Merritt (professional football player), Wesley Merritt (Civil War Union Army General and who also fought during the Spanish-American War), Abraham Merritt (science fiction writer), Theresa Merritt (movie film and television actress), Jim Merritt (professional baseball player), Myra Merritt (operatic signer) and Mark Daniel Merritt (music composer and arranger).