Researching Thomas Merton
Explore the detail of Thomas Merton using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
![]() | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 339 people with the Merton surname? In that year Merton was ranked number 3240 for popularity in the UK. |

The name Thomas means "a twin" and is of Hebrew origin.
Records of Thomas Merton on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of Thomas Merton in your family tree. With over 30 billion records and 100 million family trees to search, Ancestry is one of the key websites to visit to help you trace your family tree back in time. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for Thomas Merton. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for Thomas Merton. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for Thomas Merton. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for Thomas Merton. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for Thomas Merton. |
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some Merton ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Merton Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for Thomas Merton and the Merton Family History
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Merton Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources below you will be able to find a birth record and, from that, a birth certificate can be ordered which lists the names of the mother and father, taking you back another generation in your tree. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Merton family tree.
Search Parish Records for Thomas Merton at Find My Past.
Search for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of Thomas Merton using the FreeBMD database.
Check out Genealogy Bank for Thomas Merton records.
Explore MyHeritage for Thomas Merton information.
Study the LDS Database for records about Thomas Merton.
Research the Merton surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Merton Military records.
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 362 people with the Merton surname in the UK? Merton is now ranked number 3700 for popularity in the UK. |
Merton Family Tree Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Investigate the WikiTree database for user contributed records for Thomas Merton.
Study MyTrees for information on the Merton family and people looking to contact living Merton relations.
Study One Great Family for Merton records submitted by people who are already researching the Merton Family Tree.
Find Thomas Merton from Ireland on findmypast.ie
Merton Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the Merton surname using Genealogy.com forums .
Miscellaneous Merton Databases
Look at the Ellis Island Database for information on Thomas Merton. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915 – December 10, 1968) was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist, and scholar of comparative religion. On May 26, 1949, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood and given the name "Father Louis". He was a member of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, near Bardstown, Kentucky, living there from 1941 to his death.
Merton wrote more than 50 books in a period of 27 years, mostly on spirituality, social justice and a quiet pacifism, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Among Merton's most enduring works is his bestselling autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain (1948). His account of his spiritual journey inspired scores of World War II veterans, students, and teenagers to explore offerings of monasteries across the US. It is on National Reviews list of the 100 best nonfiction books of the century.
Merton became a keen proponent of interfaith understanding, exploring Eastern religions through his study of mystic practice. He is particularly known for having pioneered dialogue with prominent Asian spiritual figures, including the Dalai Lama; Japanese writer D. T. Suzuki; Thai Buddhist monk Buddhadasa, and Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He traveled extensively in the course of meeting with them and attending international conferences on religion. In addition, he wrote books on Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, and how Christianity related to them. This was highly unusual at the time in the United States, particularly within the religious orders.
Source: Thomas Merton, Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaOther names that sound a bit like Merton
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
Maertens Mardane Marden Mardon Marieton Maritime Maritimes Marteeney Marteeny Marten Martendale Martendele Marteney Martenies Martens Martense Martensen Marteny Marthen Marthienssen Marthinson Martiens Martiensen Martienssen Martignon Martignoni Martin Martina Martinache Martinat Martindale Martindayle Martindel Martindell Martindill Martine Martineau Martinec Martinek Martinelli Martinello Martinet Martinets Martinette Martinetti Martinetto Martinez Martinho Martini Martinie Martinkovic Martinmaas Martino Martinolich Martinolli Martinon Martinot Martinovic Martinovsky Martins Martinsen Martinson Martinucci Martinuzzi Martiny Martinyuk Marton Martone Martonfi Marttinen Martyn Martyndel Martyne Martynikhin Martynka Martynov Martyns Martyntsev Meardon Meerdink Mehrtens Meridan Meriden Meriton Merriden Merriton Merrydown Merten Mertens Mertin Moorton Mordan Mordanti Mordaunt Morden Mordente Mordin Mordino Mordon Moreton Mortain Morten Mortenbeck Mortensen Mortenson Morteyn Mortimer Mortimore Morton Mourton Muirden Murden Murdent Murrthum Murtimer Murtomaa Murton





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