2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Meleney
An Irish surname possibly derived from a place name meaning "honey place".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Meleney. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meleney 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Meleney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meleney, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meleney
The surname Meleney originated in Ireland, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "mileánach," which means a person from a place called Mileán or Miltown. The name Mileán itself is thought to come from the Irish word "milé," meaning a soldier or warrior.
The earliest recorded instances of the Meleney surname can be found in various Irish records and documents from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a Patrick Meleney in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, dated 1590. This document recorded grants of land and privileges by the English Crown in Ireland during that period.
In the 17th century, the Meleney name appeared in the Petty Census of Ireland, a survey conducted by Sir William Petty in 1659. This census recorded several Meleney families living in counties such as Cork, Tipperary, and Kilkenny, suggesting that the name was well-established in various parts of Ireland by that time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Meleney surname was John Meleney, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, in the late 16th century. Records show that he served as a soldier in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s, fighting against the English forces.
In the 18th century, the Meleney name gained prominence with the birth of Michael Meleney (1722-1798), a prominent Irish landowner and merchant from County Tipperary. He was known for his successful business ventures and his involvement in local politics.
Another notable figure was Thomas Meleney (1790-1865), an Irish-born author and poet who emigrated to the United States in the 1820s. He published several works of poetry and prose, including "Echoes from Erin" and "The Irish Exile's Lament."
In the 19th century, the Meleney surname can be found in various historical records, such as the Griffith's Valuation of Ireland (1848-1864), which documented landholders and property owners across the country. One notable entry is that of Patrick Meleney, who owned land in County Cork in the mid-19th century.
A prominent figure from this era was James Meleney (1848-1919), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the tobacco industry and later became known for his charitable contributions to educational institutions and local communities in New York City.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meleney
Among Census respondents with the surname Meleney, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Meleney 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 Meleney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Black or African American3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meleney
Meleney 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-9 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,261 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+12 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,016 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 19,261 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 11,016 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 Meleney 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 | #156,044 | #145,028 | 7.1% |
| Count | 104 | 116 | 11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meleney bearers went from 104 to 116 (+11.5% change). The surname moved up 11,016 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #145,028.
FAQ
Meleney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meleney?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Meleney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Meleney?
Meleney ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Meleney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Meleney.
Has Meleney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meleney went from 104 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 12 (+11.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Meleney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meleney, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Meleney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meleney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Meleney (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 Meleney mean?
An Irish surname possibly derived from a place name meaning "honey place". 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 Meleney (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 common is the surname Meleney?
You can see how many people have the surname Meleney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.