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

Melamed, 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 Melamed surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melamed in America

Melamed is the 21105th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melamed surname appeared 1,244 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Melamed.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melamed 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.

The history of the last name Melamed

The surname MELAMED is of Hebrew origin, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Hebrew word "melammed," which means "teacher" or "instructor." The name likely originated among Jewish communities in the Iberian Peninsula, where the profession of teaching and studying religious texts was highly respected.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MELAMED can be found in a document from the 14th century, which mentions a Rabbi Yitzchak Melamed living in the city of Seville, Spain. This suggests that the name was already in use among Sephardic Jewish communities during this time period.

In the 15th century, as the Spanish Inquisition intensified, many Jews were forced to convert to Christianity or flee the country. Those who left often took their surnames with them, and the name MELAMED spread to other parts of Europe and the Mediterranean region.

One notable individual with the surname MELAMED was Samuel Melamed, a prominent rabbi and scholar who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Portugal around 1505 and later settled in the Ottoman Empire, where he served as the chief rabbi of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) from 1560 until his death in 1580.

Another significant figure was Shlomo Melamed, a 17th-century Kabbalist and author from the city of Izmir (then known as Smyrna) in the Ottoman Empire. He wrote several influential works on Jewish mysticism and philosophy, including a commentary on the Zohar.

In the 18th century, a man named Abraham Melamed gained recognition as a skilled calligrapher and scribe in the city of Livorno, Italy. He was responsible for producing many beautiful and intricate copies of religious texts and manuscripts.

Moving into the 19th century, there was a notable rabbi and author named Mordechai Melamed, who lived in the city of Safed in modern-day Israel. He wrote extensively on Jewish law and ethics, and his works were widely studied in yeshivas and academic circles.

As Jewish communities spread across the world, the surname MELAMED followed, with families bearing this name settling in various countries, including the United States, Canada, and South America. While the name may have evolved slightly in spelling or pronunciation over time, its roots can be traced back to the Hebrew word for "teacher," reflecting the importance of education and scholarship in Jewish culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melamed

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

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 Melamed was:

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 Melamed has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Melamed was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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