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

Melina, 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 Melina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melina in America

Melina is the 69996th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melina surname appeared 280 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 Melina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melina 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 Melina

The surname MELINA is of Greek origin, tracing its roots back to the Byzantine era. The name is derived from the Greek word "meli," meaning honey, suggesting a possible connection to areas known for beekeeping or honey production.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Coislinianus, a 7th-century Greek manuscript containing texts from various authors. This suggests that the name was already in use during the Byzantine period.

In the 11th century, a prominent figure named Michael Melinas was mentioned in the Alexiad, a historical account written by Anna Komnene, daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Michael Melinas was a high-ranking military commander who played a significant role in the wars against the Seljuk Turks.

During the medieval period, the name MELINA was also associated with various noble families in Greece and the Aegean islands. In the 14th century, a nobleman named Georgios Melinas was recorded as owning land and estates on the island of Crete.

As the centuries passed, the name continued to appear in various regions of Greece, with variations in spelling such as Melinos, Melinas, and Melenos. One notable figure was Ioannis Melinos (1672-1735), a Greek scholar and writer who played a crucial role in the Greek Enlightenment movement.

In the 19th century, the name MELINA gained prominence with the birth of Maria Melina (1824-1899), a Greek philanthropist and benefactor. She founded several schools and educational institutions, leaving a lasting impact on the education system in Greece.

Another famous bearer of the name was Spyros Melinas (1881-1962), a Greek politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Greece from 1945 to 1946, during the tumultuous period following World War II.

While the name MELINA has its roots in Greek history and culture, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Greek word for honey, reflecting a connection to the natural world and the traditions of beekeeping in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melina

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

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

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

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