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

Mellen, 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 Mellen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mellen in America

Mellen is the 10453rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mellen surname appeared 3,076 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 Mellen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mellen 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 Mellen

The surname Mellen has its roots in the Old English word "melene," which means "mill" or "mill stream." It originated in England during the medieval period, typically referring to individuals who lived near a mill or worked as millers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mellen name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property conducted in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Meleham" and "Meleburn," referring to locations in Hampshire and Derbyshire, respectively.

As the name evolved, various spellings emerged, including Mellon, Mellin, and Melland. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes who recorded official documents.

Notable individuals bearing the Mellen surname include Robert Mellen (c. 1565-1640), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Nottingham in the early 17th century. Another prominent figure was James Mellen (1733-1810), an American lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1801 to 1807.

In the realm of literature, Grenville Mellen (1799-1841) was an American author and poet known for his contributions to the literary magazine "The North American Review." Meanwhile, in the field of education, Charles Mellen (1831-1900) was a prominent figure, serving as the president of the University of West Virginia from 1869 to 1875.

Across the Atlantic, the Mellen name also gained recognition in Europe. One notable bearer was Friedrich Mellen (1833-1918), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the late 19th century.

These examples illustrate the diverse histories and accomplishments associated with the Mellen surname, spanning various professions and regions throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mellen

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

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

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

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