What’s In A Name: Sam Merlotte

This is the eighth in our series of articles examining the meanings behind the names of characters on True Blood. For previous articles looking at Sookie, Eric, Alcide, Tara, Bill, Arlene & Lafayette click here.

Sam Merlotte

Sam’s a simple guy at heart. He loves his friends and his town, he prefers a cold beer at the end of the day and pancakes in the morning. He’s sturdy, loyal, and kind but as we saw last season, when he gets mad, look out! Sam is short for Samuel, which is derived from the Hebrew Shemuel and means “God has heard” or “God’s voice”.

In the Jewish scriptures, Samuel was the last judge of Israel. He anointed Saul the first King of Israel, followed by David. This name also has strong associations with the United States. It was very popular among the Puritans in the 17th and 18th centuries, and ”Uncle Sam” has been the face of the U.S. government since the late 19th century. It’s a strong name with a rich history, just like our Sam.

Merlotte appears to have been made up by author Charlaine Harris as the surname for this character. It doesn’t show up in any name databases and the only references when searching for it are Sam Merlotte himself. The name does bear a strong resemblance to the word “merlot”, which is a type of red wine. That association would certainly be appropriate for our bar owner. This is also not Sam’s birth name. He was adopted by Sue Ann and Mitch Merlotte as a young boy, but his birth name (at least on True Blood) is Mickens. This surname appears to be of German heritage, but no meaning is attached in the sources I was able to access.

Somehow having a surname, or rather two surnames, with no known meaning to go with his solid first name seems right for Sam, don’t you think? He’s a shapeshifter, fluid by nature yet strong and loyal. His names reflect that.

Next week: Pamela Swynford de Beaufort