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

Melcher, 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 Melcher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melcher in America

Melcher is the 7018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melcher surname appeared 4,772 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Melcher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melcher 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 Melcher

The surname Melcher is of German origin, derived from the personal name Melchior, which itself traces back to the Hebrew name Malki-Or, meaning "king of light." The name was popularly associated with one of the three biblical Magi or Wise Men who visited the infant Jesus, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The earliest recorded instances of the Melcher surname date back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Prussia. It was common for surnames to emerge from personal names during this period, particularly those with biblical or religious connotations.

One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the Melcher name was Johannes Melcher, a merchant and landowner from Nuremberg, who lived in the late 14th century. His name appears in several historical records related to trade and property transactions in the region.

In the 16th century, the Melcher family played a role in the Protestant Reformation. Johann Melcher, a Lutheran minister from Wittenberg, was a close associate of Martin Luther and helped disseminate Luther's teachings throughout Germany.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several notable individuals carried the Melcher surname. Johann Melcher (1639-1715) was a German composer and organist known for his sacred works. Andreas Melcher (1625-1683) was a respected theologian and author from Saxony.

As the Melcher name spread across Europe, it also gained prominence in other fields. In the 19th century, Carl Melcher (1818-1890) was a German-American artist and lithographer who created illustrations for books and newspapers in New York City.

One of the most famous individuals with the Melcher surname was Frederic Gailard Melcher (1879-1963), an American publisher and editor who served as the editor-in-chief of Publishers Weekly magazine and played a significant role in promoting children's literature.

Throughout its history, the Melcher surname has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, clergy, artists, and publishers. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since become widespread across Europe and the Americas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melcher

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

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

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

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