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

Mellis, 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 Mellis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mellis in America

Mellis is the 58481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mellis surname appeared 347 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 Mellis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mellis 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 Mellis

The surname MELLIS has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "mel" meaning "mill" and "leah" meaning "a clearing in a woodland." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked at a mill located in a forest clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Mellis" in the county of Suffolk. This entry likely refers to the village of Mellis, which still exists today and may have been the original place from which the surname emerged.

In the 13th century, a document from the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire mentions a "William de Mellis," indicating the use of the surname during this time period. The "de" prefix was commonly used to denote a person's place of origin or residence.

Another early record is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, where a "John Mellis" is listed. This provides further evidence of the name's prevalence in different regions of England during the Middle Ages.

Notable individuals with the surname MELLIS throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Mellis (c. 1515 - 1569), an English politician and landowner who served as Sheriff of Suffolk and Norfolk.
2. John Mellis (c. 1590 - 1670), a Scottish minister and theologian who was a prominent figure in the Church of Scotland.
3. Samuel Mellis (1743 - 1817), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts and sermons.
4. Robert Mellis (1723 - 1809), a Scottish merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Glasgow.
5. William Mellis (1810 - 1885), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

The name MELLIS has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Mellis Common and Mellis Green, both located in Suffolk. These place names likely originated from the same root as the surname and may have been named after early settlers or landowners bearing the name MELLIS.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mellis

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

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

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

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