2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Melchionda
An Italian surname derived from the biblical name Melchizedek.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Melchionda. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Melchionda 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Melchionda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Melchionda, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Melchionda
The surname Melchionda has its origins in Italy, with records indicating its presence as early as the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Campania and Apulia, particularly in the areas surrounding Naples and Bari.
The name Melchionda is derived from the Italian word "melchionda," which means "honey-colored" or "golden-hued." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with golden or honey-colored hair or complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from the year 1274, which mentions a certain Filippo Melchionda from the town of Salerno, located in the Campania region. Another early reference is a record from 1315, which lists a Giacomo Melchionda as a merchant in the city of Bari, Apulia.
In the 15th century, the surname Melchionda appears in historical records from the Kingdom of Naples. A notable figure from this period is Tommaso Melchionda (1421-1495), a prominent scholar and philosopher who authored several treatises on logic and metaphysics.
During the Renaissance, the Melchionda family gained prominence in the arts. Giovanni Battista Melchionda (1498-1560), a renowned painter from Naples, was renowned for his religious frescoes adorning various churches in the city.
In the 17th century, the name Melchionda is associated with the town of Melchionda, located in the province of Benevento, Campania. It is believed that the town may have been named after a family bearing the surname, or vice versa.
Another notable figure with the surname Melchionda is Girolamo Melchionda (1689-1761), a renowned architect from Naples who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the city.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Melchionda (1824-1897) was a prominent lawyer and politician from Campania who served as a member of the Italian Parliament during the early years of the Kingdom of Italy.
Throughout history, the surname Melchionda has been subject to various spelling variations, such as Melchionda, Melchionde, Melchiundi, and Melchiondi, reflecting the regional dialects and orthographic conventions of different periods and locations within Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Melchionda
Among Census respondents with the surname Melchionda, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Melchionda 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 Melchionda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 105
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Melchionda
Melchionda 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+16 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,370 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-17 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,890 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 6,370 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 15,890 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 Melchionda 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 | #136,449 | #152,339 | -11.6% |
| Count | 123 | 106 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Melchionda bearers went from 123 to 106 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 15,890 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #152,339.
FAQ
Melchionda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Melchionda?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Melchionda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Melchionda?
Melchionda ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 106 people with the surname Melchionda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Melchionda.
Has Melchionda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Melchionda went from 123 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Melchionda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Melchionda, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%). 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 Melchionda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Melchionda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Black (0.9%). 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 Melchionda (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 Melchionda mean?
An Italian surname derived from the biblical name Melchizedek. 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 Melchionda (0.04 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 Melchionda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.