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

Melican, 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 Melican surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melican in America

Melican is the 93513th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melican surname appeared 196 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Melican.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melican 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 Melican

The surname Melican is believed to have originated in Ireland, likely in the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "miolcán" or "miolacan," meaning "greyhound" or "little hound." This suggests that the name may have been a descriptive one, possibly referring to someone who had a connection with greyhounds or who possessed certain physical or personality traits associated with these dogs, such as swiftness or agility.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Melican appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In an entry dated 1283, a person named "Donaldus O'Miolacain" is mentioned. This suggests that the name was in use in Ireland at least as early as the 13th century.

The Melican surname is also found in several Irish genealogical records from the 16th and 17th centuries. For example, in the 1659 Census of Ireland, there are listings for families with the surname Melican in County Westmeath and County Longford. This indicates that the name was well-established in these regions by that time.

Among the notable historical figures who bore the surname Melican was John Melican (c. 1545-1623), an Irish Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Archbishop of Tuam. He played a significant role in the Irish Counter-Reformation and was known for his efforts to promote Catholic education and preserve Irish culture and language.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Patrick Melican (1726-1800), an Irish mathematician and astronomer. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy and made contributions to the fields of navigation and surveying.

In the 19th century, James Melican (1821-1890) was a notable Irish-American businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and was involved in various business ventures, including banking and real estate.

Other notable individuals with the Melican surname include Mary Melican (1896-1976), an Irish novelist and short story writer, and John Melican (1913-1985), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1930s.

While the surname Melican is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history and can be traced back to medieval Ireland, where it likely originated as a descriptive name related to greyhounds or hunting dogs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melican

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

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

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

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