2000
#19,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,317
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.49
Rare Last name
Demelo
A Spanish surname indicating a place of origin, likely from a town named Melo.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,362 Americans carry the last name Demelo. That puts it at #14,014 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,112 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demelo 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 Demelo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 145,112
Census rank
#14,014
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,060 bearers of the surname Demelo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14014th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demelo, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demelo
The surname DEMELO has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "de" meaning "from" and "Melo," a town located in the district of Évora in southern Portugal. The name likely originated from a person who hailed from this town or its surrounding areas.
DEMELO is believed to have first appeared in historical records during the reign of King Afonso V of Portugal (1432-1481). One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a document from 1472, which mentions a certain João DEMELO, a nobleman and landowner in the region of Alentejo.
During the Age of Exploration in the 16th century, some individuals bearing the DEMELO surname ventured beyond the shores of Portugal as explorers, conquistadors, and colonists. Notable among them was Francisco DEMELO, who was born in 1520 and participated in the conquest of Brazil, serving as a captain under the renowned Portuguese explorer Tomé de Sousa.
In the 17th century, the DEMELO family gained prominence in Portugal, with several members holding influential positions in the royal court. One such figure was Diogo DEMELO (1578-1655), who served as a diplomat and ambassador to various European courts, including those of France and England.
As the centuries passed, the DEMELO surname spread to various parts of the world, including Brazil, where it is still commonly found today. One of the most famous Brazilians with this surname was the writer and journalist Patrícia DEMELO (1962-1992), known for her influential works on social and political issues.
Other notable individuals with the DEMELO surname include the Portuguese politician and diplomat António DEMELO (1802-1866), who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the reign of King Pedro V, and the Spanish actor and director Manuel DEMELO (1954-2020), renowned for his work in both film and theater.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demelo
Among Census respondents with the surname Demelo, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Demelo 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 Demelo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 1,759
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 115
- Black or African American3.7% · 76
- Two or more races2.7% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demelo
Demelo 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
#16,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,709
+392 bearers (+29.8%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Up 2,373 places
2020
#14,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,060
+351 bearers (+20.5%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 2,720 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,107 | 1,317 | 0.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,734 | 1,709 | 0.58 | +392 bearers (+29.8%) | Up 2,373 places |
| 2020 | #14,014 | 2,060 | 0.69 | +351 bearers (+20.5%) | Up 2,720 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 Demelo 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 | #16,734 | #14,014 | 16.3% |
| Count | 1,709 | 2,060 | 20.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.58 | 0.69 | 18.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demelo bearers went from 1,709 to 2,060 (+20.5% change). The surname moved up 2,720 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,734 to #14,014.
FAQ
Demelo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demelo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,362 living Americans carry the surname Demelo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,112 residents.
How common is Demelo?
Demelo ranks #14,014 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,060 people with the surname Demelo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,362), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Demelo.
Has Demelo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demelo went from 1,709 recorded bearers to 2,060. That is an increase of 351 (+20.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,734 to #14,014.
What does the Census say about the background of Demelo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demelo, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Black (3.7%). 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 Demelo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (1,759 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demelo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Hispanic (5.6%), Black (3.7%). 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 Demelo (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 Demelo mean?
A Spanish surname indicating a place of origin, likely from a town named Melo. 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 Demelo (0.69 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 Americans have the surname Demelo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.