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

Melka, 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 Melka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melka in America

Melka is the 46487th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melka surname appeared 458 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 Melka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melka 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 Melka

The surname MELKA is believed to have originated in Poland, with records dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Polish word "melka," which means "a small mill," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been millers or lived near a mill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MELKA surname can be found in the 1564 Kraków Land Records, where a certain Jan MELKA is mentioned. This document provides valuable insight into the name's prevalence in the region during the Renaissance period.

In the 17th century, the MELKA name appeared in various records across Poland, indicating its spread throughout the country. For instance, in 1621, a Marcin MELKA from the village of Zabierzów is mentioned in the parish records of the nearby town of Krzeszowice.

As the centuries passed, the MELKA name continued to be documented in various historical records. One notable example is Stanisław MELKA, a Polish nobleman born in 1723 in the town of Radymno, who served as a military officer during the Polish-Russian War of 1792.

During the 19th century, several individuals bearing the MELKA surname achieved prominence in various fields. One such figure was Józef MELKA (1810-1876), a renowned Polish painter and illustrator known for his depictions of historical events and landscapes.

Another noteworthy individual was Franciszek MELKA (1857-1919), a Polish engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of early automobiles and held several patents for his innovative designs.

In more recent history, the MELKA surname has been carried by several distinguished individuals, including Władysław MELKA (1899-1982), a Polish linguist and professor who specialized in the study of Slavic languages and their historical development.

While the MELKA surname may have originated in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to migration and the diaspora of Polish communities. However, its roots can be traced back to the 16th century in the Polish lands, where the name first emerged and was documented in various historical records.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melka

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!