2000
#6,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,539
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Melanson
A French occupational surname referring to a farm bailiff or steward managing a feudal estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,800 Americans carry the last name Melanson. That puts it at #7,620 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,407 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Melanson 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
4.8K
1 in 71,407
Census rank
#7,620
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,186 bearers of the surname Melanson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7620th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Melanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Melanson
The surname Melanson originated in France, specifically in the region of Poitou, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "melange," which means "mixture" or "blend." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked with blending or mixing different materials, possibly in a trade such as brewing or dyeing.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Melanson can be found in the records of the Abbey of Saint-Maixent in Poitou, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various spellings, including "Melanchon," "Melanchion," and "Melancon," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in that era.
In the 17th century, during the French colonization of Acadia (present-day Maritime provinces of Canada), several families bearing the Melanson surname were among the early settlers. One notable figure was Pierre Melanson, born in 1662 in Port-Royal, Acadia (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia). He played a significant role in the development of the Acadian community and left a lasting impact on the region.
Another prominent individual with the Melanson surname was Jean-Baptiste Melanson, born in 1712 in Grand-Pré, Acadia (now Nova Scotia). He was a respected community leader and landowner, and his descendants continued to carry on the family name in various parts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
During the Great Expulsion of the Acadians in the mid-18th century, many Melanson families were forcibly deported from their homeland. Some found refuge in Louisiana, where they became part of the Acadian diaspora and contributed to the distinct Cajun culture that emerged in the region.
In the 19th century, the name Melanson can be found in historical records from various parts of Canada and the United States, reflecting the spread of Acadian and French Canadian communities. One notable figure was Alexis Melanson, born in 1825 in Memramcook, New Brunswick, who became a prominent businessman and community leader.
Other individuals with the Melanson surname who left their mark on history include Amédée Melanson, born in 1856 in Memramcook, New Brunswick, who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, and Édouard Melanson, born in 1880 in Arichat, Nova Scotia, who was a respected educator and writer.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Melanson
Among Census respondents with the surname Melanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Melanson 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 Melanson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 3,842
- Two or more races3.2% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 130
- Black or African American1.1% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Melanson
Melanson 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
#7,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,608
+69 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 409 places
2020
#7,620
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,186
-422 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 382 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,829 | 4,539 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,238 | 4,608 | 1.56 | +69 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 409 places |
| 2020 | #7,620 | 4,186 | 1.40 | -422 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 382 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 Melanson 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 | #7,238 | #7,620 | -5.3% |
| Count | 4,608 | 4,186 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.56 | 1.40 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Melanson bearers went from 4,608 to 4,186 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 382 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,238 to #7,620.
FAQ
Melanson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Melanson?
Name Census estimates that about 4,800 living Americans carry the surname Melanson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,407 residents.
How common is Melanson?
Melanson ranks #7,620 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 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 4,186 people with the surname Melanson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,800), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 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 Melanson.
Has Melanson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Melanson went from 4,608 recorded bearers to 4,186. That is a decrease of 422 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,238 to #7,620.
What does the Census say about the background of Melanson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Melanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Melanson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (3,842 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Melanson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Melanson (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 Melanson mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a farm bailiff or steward managing a feudal estate. 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 Melanson (1.40 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 are called Melanson?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Melanson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.