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Sorry, I answered a question you didn't ask. This map will show where the name is found in Britain, assuming the URL works:
http://www.spatial-literacy.org/UCLnames/Map.aspx?name=MERRIMAN&year=1998&altyear=1881&country=GB&type=name

WYSIWYG, it means what it says, a merry man; unless, of course it's ironic, and was given to a miserable fellow. It's an English name, but is better known in Ireland. Attempts have been made to show that the Irish Merrimans once had an Irish name, such as Ó Meadhra, but the experts are not convinced.
Brian Merriman, a famous poet in the Irish language, called himself Mac Giolla meidhre, "son of merry fellow", in Irish, but it was not meant to be taken seriously.