2000
#8,733
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,463
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Demello
A Portuguese surname derived from the phrase "de Melo," meaning "from Melo," referring to a place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,879 Americans carry the last name Demello. That puts it at #9,243 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,362 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demello surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Demello with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,362
Census rank
#9,243
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,383 bearers of the surname Demello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9243rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demello, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demello
The surname DEMELLO originated in Portugal and has its roots in the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Portuguese words "de" meaning "from" and "melo" referring to a place name or family estate. The name may have originally been associated with individuals who hailed from a location known as Melo or a similar sounding place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DEMELLO surname can be traced back to the 14th century, when it appeared in historical documents and manuscripts from the northern regions of Portugal. During this period, the spelling variations "de Mello" and "de Melo" were also commonly used.
In the 15th century, the DEMELLO name gained prominence when Vasco Fernandes de Mello, a Portuguese explorer and navigator, embarked on a voyage to the coast of West Africa. He played a significant role in the early stages of Portugal's maritime explorations and expansions.
Another notable figure bearing the DEMELLO surname was Pedro de Mello, a 16th-century Portuguese nobleman and military commander. He served as the Governor of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1567 to 1572 and was instrumental in the development and administration of the region.
In the 17th century, the DEMELLO name was associated with Sebastião de Mello, a prominent Portuguese architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and fortifications, including the Fortaleza de São João Baptista in Mozambique.
During the 18th century, the DEMELLO surname gained further recognition with the birth of José de Mello Breyner, a Portuguese nobleman and politician. He held various influential positions, including serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the Council of Ministers.
As the DEMELLO name spread across Portugal and its colonies, it often adopted local variations and spellings, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions. However, the core elements of the surname, derived from the place name and the prefix "de," remained consistent throughout its evolution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demello
Among Census respondents with the surname Demello, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Demello bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Demello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.5% · 2,419
- Two or more races10.9% · 368
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.5% · 287
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 270
- Black or African American0.9% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demello
Demello appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,868
+405 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Up 221 places
2020
#9,243
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,383
-485 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 731 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,733 | 3,463 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,512 | 3,868 | 1.31 | +405 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 221 places |
| 2020 | #9,243 | 3,383 | 1.13 | -485 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 731 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Demello surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,512 | #9,243 | -8.6% |
| Count | 3,868 | 3,383 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.13 | -13.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demello bearers went from 3,868 to 3,383 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 731 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,512 to #9,243.
FAQ
Demello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demello?
Name Census estimates that about 3,879 living Americans carry the surname Demello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,362 residents.
How common is Demello?
Demello ranks #9,243 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,383 people with the surname Demello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,879), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Demello.
Has Demello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demello went from 3,868 recorded bearers to 3,383. That is a decrease of 485 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,512 to #9,243.
What does the Census say about the background of Demello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demello, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Demello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.5% (2,419 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.5%), Two or More Races (10.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Demello (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Demello mean?
A Portuguese surname derived from the phrase "de Melo," meaning "from Melo," referring to a place of origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Demello (1.13 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Demello?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.