2000
#12,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,172
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Meldrum
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Fyvie in Aberdeenshire, likely meaning "hill of the ridge."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,610 Americans carry the last name Meldrum. That puts it at #12,910 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,324 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meldrum 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Meldrum with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 131,324
Census rank
#12,910
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,276 bearers of the surname Meldrum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12910th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meldrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meldrum
The surname Meldrum is of Scottish origin, derived from the lands of Meldrum in Aberdeenshire. The name can be traced back to the early 12th century, when the lands were granted to Philip de Meldrum by King David I of Scotland.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Chartulary of Arbroath Abbey, where it appears as "de Muledrum" in 1211. This spelling suggests that the name may have originated from the Gaelic words "maol" meaning "bare" and "druim" meaning "ridge" or "hill", referring to the geographical features of the land.
In the 13th century, the Meldrums were prominent landowners in Aberdeenshire, with Sir Philip de Meldrum serving as Sheriff of Aberdeen in 1260. Over the centuries, various branches of the family spread throughout Scotland and beyond, resulting in variations in the spelling of the name, such as Meldrum, Meldrom, and Meldrome.
One of the most notable figures associated with the name was Sir John Meldrum (1558-1645), a Scottish military commander who served in the Thirty Years' War. He played a significant role in the Battle of Wimpfen in 1622, where he led Scottish and English troops to victory against the Catholic League forces.
Another prominent Meldrum was George Meldrum (1637-1709), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the study of comets and the calculation of their orbits. He was a professor at the University of Aberdeen and published several works on astronomy.
In the literary world, John Meldrum (1734-1796) was a Scottish poet and playwright, known for his tragedy "Zeluco" and his contributions to the Scottish periodical "The Mirror".
The Meldrums also played a role in the exploration and settlement of North America. William Meldrum (1785-1866) was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.
In the 19th century, David Meldrum (1823-1890) was a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor who led expeditions into the interior of Western Australia and helped map the region.
Throughout history, the surname Meldrum has been associated with various professions, from military leaders and academics to writers and explorers, highlighting the diverse contributions made by individuals bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meldrum
Among Census respondents with the surname Meldrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Meldrum 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 Meldrum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 2,103
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 82
- Two or more races2.3% · 53
- Black or African American1.1% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meldrum
Meldrum 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
#13,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,332
+160 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 179 places
2020
#12,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,276
-56 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,953 | 2,172 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,132 | 2,332 | 0.79 | +160 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 179 places |
| 2020 | #12,910 | 2,276 | 0.76 | -56 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 222 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 Meldrum 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 | #13,132 | #12,910 | 1.7% |
| Count | 2,332 | 2,276 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.76 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meldrum bearers went from 2,332 to 2,276 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 222 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,132 to #12,910.
FAQ
Meldrum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meldrum?
Name Census estimates that about 2,610 living Americans carry the surname Meldrum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,324 residents.
How common is Meldrum?
Meldrum ranks #12,910 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,276 people with the surname Meldrum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,610), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Meldrum.
Has Meldrum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meldrum went from 2,332 recorded bearers to 2,276. That is a decrease of 56 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,132 to #12,910.
What does the Census say about the background of Meldrum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meldrum, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Meldrum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (2,103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meldrum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Meldrum (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 Meldrum mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Fyvie in Aberdeenshire, likely meaning "hill of the ridge." 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 Meldrum (0.76 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 have the surname Meldrum?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.