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

Meliton, 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 Meliton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meliton in America

Meliton is the 149395th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meliton surname appeared 110 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 Meliton.

The history of the last name Meliton

The surname Meliton has its origins in Greece, where it dates back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "meliton," which means "honey-colored" or "golden." This suggests that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with golden or honey-colored hair or perhaps a tanned complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meliton can be found in the writings of Plutarch, the famous Greek biographer and philosopher who lived in the 1st century AD. He mentions a man named Meliton who was a philosopher from the city of Sardis in ancient Lydia (now part of modern-day Turkey).

In the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts from the Byzantine Empire. For example, there is mention of a monk named Meliton who lived in the 8th century and was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.

During the Renaissance period, the name Meliton began to spread across Europe, particularly in regions with strong ties to the Greek Orthodox Church. One notable figure from this time was Meliton Smotritsky, a Russian scholar and linguist who lived from 1572 to 1633. He is best known for his work on the first comprehensive grammar of the Church Slavonic language.

In the 18th century, a Greek scholar and theologian named Meliton Mitropolski (1715-1786) gained recognition for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek texts and his translations of works from Latin into Greek.

Another significant figure with this surname was Meliton Tsamados (1870-1949), a Greek military officer and politician who played a prominent role in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922 and served as the Minister of Military Affairs in Greece during the 1920s.

While the surname Meliton is not as common as some other Greek surnames, it has maintained a presence throughout history, carried by scholars, religious figures, and military leaders, often reflecting its Greek origins and connections to the Orthodox Church.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meliton

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

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 Meliton 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.

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

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

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