2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Melampy
An anglicized version of the Greek surname Melanpis referring to someone with swarthy complexion or black hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Melampy. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Melampy 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.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Melampy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Melampy, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Melampy
The surname MELAMPY is believed to have originated in the British Isles, specifically in the region of Cornwall in southwestern England. Its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
One of the earliest known references to the name MELAMPY can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name had already been established in Cornwall by the late 11th century.
The name MELAMPY is thought to be derived from the Cornish words "mel" meaning "honey" and "ampi" meaning "place" or "location". This suggests that the name originally referred to a place where honey was produced or collected, potentially indicating that the earliest bearers of this surname were involved in beekeeping or honey-related activities.
In the 13th century, records show a Robert de Melampi who was a landowner in the village of Gwithian, near St. Ives in Cornwall. This early spelling variation, "Melampi", provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
During the 16th century, the name MELAMPY appeared in various legal and church records in Cornwall, such as the baptism of John Melampy in Redruth in 1587 and the marriage of Johanna Melampy to William Trewhela in St. Ives in 1593.
Notable individuals with the surname MELAMPY throughout history include:
1. Sir Richard Melampy (c.1520-1582), a prominent merchant and politician who served as Mayor of Truro, Cornwall.
2. Reverend Thomas Melampy (1654-1721), a clergyman and author who published several theological works in the late 17th century.
3. Elizabeth Melampy (1735-1804), a celebrated Cornish poet and writer whose works celebrated the local culture and traditions of her homeland.
4. Captain James Melampy (1782-1856), a Royal Navy officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a respected navigator and cartographer.
5. Sir William Melampy (1845-1923), a successful industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Cornwall's mining and engineering industries.
While the surname MELAMPY is not particularly common today, it remains an integral part of Cornwall's rich cultural heritage, reflecting the region's historic connections to beekeeping, honey production, and the natural beauty of its landscapes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Melampy
Among Census respondents with the surname Melampy, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Melampy 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 Melampy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Melampy
Melampy 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,119 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-19 bearers (-15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,042 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,119 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-15.8%) | Down 16,042 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 Melampy 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 | #139,228 | #155,270 | -11.5% |
| Count | 120 | 101 | -15.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Melampy bearers went from 120 to 101 (-15.8% change). The surname moved down 16,042 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #155,270.
FAQ
Melampy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Melampy?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Melampy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Melampy?
Melampy ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Melampy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Melampy.
Has Melampy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Melampy went from 120 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Melampy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Melampy, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Melampy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Melampy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Hispanic (1.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Melampy (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 Melampy mean?
An anglicized version of the Greek surname Melanpis referring to someone with swarthy complexion or black hair. 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 Melampy (0.03 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 common is the surname Melampy?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Melampy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.