2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mellino
An Italian surname probably derived from the name 'Melinus', a diminutive of the Latin name 'Mellius'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 144 Americans carry the last name Mellino. That puts it at #137,553 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,380,238 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mellino surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
144
1 in 2,380,238
Census rank
#137,553
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
126
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 126 bearers of the surname Mellino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 137553rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mellino, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mellino
The surname Mellino is of Italian origin, specifically from the regions of Campania and Calabria in southern Italy. It is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, likely derived from the Latin word "mellinus," meaning "the color of honey or golden-yellow." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone with blonde or honey-colored hair.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mellino can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Normanno, a collection of medieval documents from the Norman period in southern Italy, dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during that time.
In the 13th century, records show a Guglielmo Mellino who was a notary in the city of Naples. Another notable figure was Giacomo Mellino, a prominent lawyer and jurist from the 15th century, who served as a judge in the Kingdom of Naples.
The name Mellino is also associated with the town of Mellitto, located in the province of Benevento, Campania. It is possible that the surname originated from this place name, which itself may have derived from the Latin word "mellitus," meaning "sweet" or "honeyed."
In the 16th century, a notable individual with the surname Mellino was Antonio Mellino, a poet and humanist scholar from Naples. He was born around 1510 and is known for his Latin poetry and translations of ancient Greek works.
Another significant figure was Domenico Mellino, a philosopher and theologian who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was born in Amalfi, Campania, and was renowned for his writings on metaphysics and natural philosophy.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Mellino has maintained a presence in various parts of southern Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. While not a particularly common name, it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, artists, and professionals.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mellino
Among Census respondents with the surname Mellino, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mellino bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mellino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino11.1% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mellino
Mellino appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,720 places
2020
#137,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+19 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,075 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,720 places |
| 2020 | #137,553 | 126 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 15,075 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mellino surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #137,553 | 9.9% |
| Count | 107 | 126 | 17.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mellino bearers went from 107 to 126 (+17.8% change). The surname moved up 15,075 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #137,553.
FAQ
Mellino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mellino?
Name Census estimates that about 144 living Americans carry the surname Mellino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,380,238 residents.
How common is Mellino?
Mellino ranks #137,553 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 126 people with the surname Mellino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (144), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mellino.
Has Mellino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mellino went from 107 recorded bearers to 126. That is an increase of 19 (+17.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #137,553.
What does the Census say about the background of Mellino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mellino, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mellino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mellino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Hispanic (11.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mellino (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mellino mean?
An Italian surname probably derived from the name 'Melinus', a diminutive of the Latin name 'Mellius'. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mellino (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Mellino?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.