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

Melillo, 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 Melillo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melillo in America

Melillo is the 11428th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melillo surname appeared 2,757 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 Melillo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melillo 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 Melillo

The surname Melillo has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Sicily. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.

Melillo is derived from the Latin word "melillus," which means "honey-sweet" or "honey-colored." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with someone who had a sweet or pleasant personality, or it could have been a nickname relating to physical characteristics, such as fair hair or complexion.

In its early iterations, the name appeared in various spellings, including Melilli, Melillo, and Mellillo. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the evolution of the Italian language over time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Melillo can be found in the "Catalogus Baronum," a medieval document from the late 12th century that listed the feudal lords and their fiefs in the Kingdom of Sicily. This document mentions a certain "Robertus de Melillo" as holding lands in the area of Messina, Sicily.

Another notable historical figure bearing the Melillo surname was Giacomo Melillo, a Neapolitan philosopher and scientist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is known for his contributions to the field of natural philosophy and his work on the theory of motion.

In the 17th century, there was a prominent Melillo family in the town of Nola, near Naples. One member of this family, Gennaro Melillo (1625-1701), was a renowned painter and architect who worked on several churches and palaces in the region.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Melillo appears in connection with the town of Gioia del Colle in the Apulia region of southern Italy. A notable figure from this era was Domenico Melillo (1718-1793), a lawyer and judge who served in the local courts.

Another significant individual with the Melillo surname was Francesco Melillo (1836-1915), an Italian politician and lawyer from Naples. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in the political affairs of the newly unified Italian state in the late 19th century.

Throughout history, the Melillo name has been associated with various professions, including the arts, sciences, law, and politics, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melillo

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

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

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

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