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

Meli, 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 Meli surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meli in America

Meli is the 15355th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meli surname appeared 1,910 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Meli.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meli 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 Meli

The surname MELI has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "mele," which means "apples," and likely referred to someone who cultivated or sold apples. The name was initially found in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lazio, and Sicily.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MELI surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of medieval documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. The name is mentioned in connection with landowners and merchants operating in the region around Rome.

During the Renaissance period, the MELI surname gained prominence in cities like Florence and Venice. Notable individuals with this surname include Giovanni Meli, a Sicilian poet born in 1740, renowned for his works in the Sicilian dialect. Another notable figure was Gaspare Meli, a 16th-century painter from Messina, Sicily, who was celebrated for his religious artworks adorning churches throughout the region.

In the 13th century, records show a branch of the MELI family residing in the town of Meli, located in the province of Palermo, Sicily. This place name is believed to be derived from the same root as the surname, further solidifying its connection to the cultivation of apples in the area.

Other notable individuals with the MELI surname include Gioacchino Meli, an Italian sculptor born in 1756, who gained acclaim for his intricate marble sculptures commissioned by churches and noble families. Pietro Meli, born in 1825, was a renowned Italian writer and journalist known for his contributions to the Italian unification movement.

The MELI surname has also been found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Spain and France, where it may have been introduced by Italian immigrants or travelers during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. However, its strongest roots remain in Italy, particularly in the southern regions of Sicily and Calabria.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meli

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

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

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

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