DeMello last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name DeMello is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named DeMello.

Meaning of DeMello

A Portuguese surname derived from the phrase "de Melo," meaning "from Melo," referring to a place of origin.

DeMello, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the DeMello surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeMello in America

DeMello is the 8512th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeMello surname appeared 3,868 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname DeMello.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeMello to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 8512 8733 -2.56%
Count 3,868 3,463 11.05%
Proportion per 100k 1.31 1.28 2.32%

The history of the last name 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of the earliest recorded instances of the DEMELLO surname can be traced back to the 14th century, when it appeared in historical documents and manuscripts from the northern regions of Portugal.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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeMello

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname DeMello.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for DeMello was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 74.28% 2,873
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.96% 37
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 9.23% 357
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.16% 6
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 8.74% 338
Hispanic Origin 6.64% 257

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of DeMello has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 74.28% 75.57% -1.72%
Black 0.96% 0.55% 54.30%
Asian and Pacific Islander 9.23% 7.88% 15.78%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.16% 0.26% -47.62%
Two or More Races 8.74% 11.09% -23.70%
Hispanic 6.64% 4.65% 35.25%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name DeMello was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of DeMello, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"DeMello last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 11, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/demello-surname-popularity/.

"DeMello last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/demello-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 December, 2024

DeMello last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/demello-surname-popularity/.

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