2000
#105,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Melich
A variant form of the surname Melik, derived from a Slavic title for a ruler or king.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 150 Americans carry the last name Melich. That puts it at #133,930 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,285,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Melich 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
150
1 in 2,285,029
Census rank
#133,930
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
131
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 131 bearers of the surname Melich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 133930th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Melich, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.2%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Melich
The surname MELICH has its origins in the Czech Republic, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Czech word "mělich," which means "a miller" or "one who operates a mill." This suggests that the name likely originated from a profession or occupation related to the milling industry.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname MELICH can be found in the town of Hostinné, located in the Hradec Králové region of the Czech Republic. Historical records from the mid-16th century mention a family by the name of MELICH residing in this area, indicating their presence and establishment in the region during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name MELICH appeared in various records and documents across the Czech lands, including church registers and land ownership records. One notable mention was in the town of Vysoké Mýto, where a certain Jan MELICH is listed as a prominent landowner in the year 1623.
As the name spread across Europe, it took on various spellings and variations, such as MELICHAR, MELICHER, and MÖLLICH, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions. However, the core meaning and origin remained tied to the Czech word "mělich."
Among the notable individuals with the surname MELICH throughout history are:
1. Jakub MELICH (1670-1737), a Czech painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.
2. František MELICH (1802-1879), a Czech philosopher and educator who contributed significantly to the development of educational theory in the 19th century.
3. Antonín MELICH (1843-1911), a Czech lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Imperial Council (Reichsrat) in Vienna.
4. Jan MELICH (1892-1957), a renowned Czech linguist and philologist, known for his contributions to the study of Slavic languages and their historical development.
5. Zdeněk MELICH (1925-2008), a Czech artist and sculptor whose works are featured in numerous public spaces and galleries across the Czech Republic.
While the surname MELICH may have originated from a specific occupation or trade, it has since evolved to represent a rich cultural heritage and a diverse array of individuals who have left their mark across various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Melich
Among Census respondents with the surname Melich, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.2%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Melich 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 Melich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.9% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino12.2% · 16
- Black or African American3.1% · 4
- Two or more races2.3% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Melich
Melich 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
#117,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
-9 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 12,106 places
2020
#133,930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
-17 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,450 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #105,374 | 157 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #117,480 | 148 | 0.05 | -9 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 12,106 places |
| 2020 | #133,930 | 131 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 16,450 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 Melich 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 | #117,480 | #133,930 | -14.0% |
| Count | 148 | 131 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Melich bearers went from 148 to 131 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 16,450 positions in the national ranking, going from #117,480 to #133,930.
FAQ
Melich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Melich?
Name Census estimates that about 150 living Americans carry the surname Melich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,285,029 residents.
How common is Melich?
Melich ranks #133,930 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 131 people with the surname Melich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (150), 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 Melich.
Has Melich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Melich went from 148 recorded bearers to 131. That is a decrease of 17 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #117,480 to #133,930.
What does the Census say about the background of Melich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Melich, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.2%) and Black (3.1%). 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 Melich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Melich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.9%), Hispanic (12.2%), Black (3.1%). 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 Melich (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 Melich mean?
A variant form of the surname Melik, derived from a Slavic title for a ruler or king. 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 Melich (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 people share the surname Melich?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.