Merkel (also Merckel) is a common German surname. A variant is Merkl. It used to be the minimization of a variety of Old German given names like Markwart (meaning "guard of the frontier") or Markhard (meaning "strong frontier").
Alexander Merkel (born 1992), Kazakh-born German footballer
Angela Merkel (born 1954), former Chancellor of Germany
Crawford Merkel (1906–1987), American bobsledder
Earl Merkel (born 1955), American writer
Fred Merkel (born 1962), American motorcycle road racer
Friedrich Sigmund Merkel (1845–1919), German anatomist
Friedrich Wilhelm Merkel (1911–2002), German zoologist and ornithologist
Garlieb Merkel (1769–1850), Baltic German writer and activist
Günther Merkel, East German slalom canoer
Gustav Merkel (1827–1885), German composer
Harry Merkel (1918–1995), German racecar driver
Jim Merkel (born 1957), American environmental activist and engineer
Manfred Merkel (born 1938), East German slalom canoer
Max Merkel (1918–2006), Austrian footballer and football manager
Monte Merkel (1916–1981), American football player
Petra Merkel (born 1947), German politician
Philip Merkel (1811–1899; better known as Philipp Merkle), German-American Freethinker and preacher
Pierre Merkel (born 1989), German footballer
Reiner Merkel (1952–2007), German photojournalist
Therese Merkel (born 1970), member of the Swedish band Alcazar
Una Merkel (1903–1986), American actress