2000
#2,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,263
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.18
Uncommon Last name
Mello
A surname of Italian origin, derived from a nickname meaning "honey" or "sweet," likely referring to a sweet personality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,632 Americans carry the last name Mello. That puts it at #3,200 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,134 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mello 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
13K
1 in 27,134
Census rank
#3,200
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,016 bearers of the surname Mello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3200th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mello, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mello
The surname Mello is of Portuguese origin, derived from the Latin word "mellus" meaning "honey-colored" or "golden." It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Portugal during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded examples of the Mello surname can be traced back to the 12th century, with mentions in historical records and manuscripts from this period. One notable reference is found in the Livro Velho de Linhagens (Old Book of Lineages), a medieval Portuguese genealogical work from the 13th century, which mentions several individuals with the Mello name.
In the 14th century, the Mello family gained prominence in Portugal, with members holding influential positions in the royal court and serving as military leaders. One such figure was Martim Afonso de Mello (c. 1330-1396), a renowned Portuguese military commander who played a crucial role in the Portuguese conquest of Ceuta in 1415.
During the Age of Exploration, the Mello surname spread across the Portuguese territories and colonies. Pedro de Mello (c. 1490-1536), a Portuguese explorer and colonial administrator, was appointed the first Captain-General of the Captaincy of São Vicente in Brazil in 1532.
Another notable figure was Francisco Manuel de Mello (1608-1666), a Portuguese writer, poet, and diplomat who served as ambassador to various European courts. His literary works, including the novel "Epanáforas de Vária História Portuguesa" (Epanaphoras of Various Portuguese History), are considered classics of Portuguese literature.
The Mello surname also gained prominence in the New World, particularly in Brazil. One example is Sebastião José de Carvalho e Mello (1699-1782), better known as the Marquis of Pombal, a Portuguese statesman and Prime Minister who implemented significant reforms in Portugal and its colonies during the reign of King José I.
Over the centuries, the Mello surname has been found in various spellings, such as Melo, Mellow, and Melhaud, reflecting the influence of different languages and regional variations. Despite these variations, the surname remains closely linked to its Portuguese roots and the historical figures who have carried it throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mello
Among Census respondents with the surname Mello, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mello 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 Mello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 9,533
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 853
- Two or more races3.5% · 389
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 110
- Black or African American0.9% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mello
Mello 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
#3,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,670
+407 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 3.96
Rank movement Down 142 places
2020
#3,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,016
-654 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 3.69
Rank movement Down 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,934 | 11,263 | 4.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,076 | 11,670 | 3.96 | +407 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 142 places |
| 2020 | #3,200 | 11,016 | 3.69 | -654 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 124 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 Mello 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 | #3,076 | #3,200 | -4.0% |
| Count | 11,670 | 11,016 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.96 | 3.69 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mello bearers went from 11,670 to 11,016 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,076 to #3,200.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mello
FAQ
Mello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mello?
Name Census estimates that about 12,632 living Americans carry the surname Mello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,134 residents.
How common is Mello?
Mello ranks #3,200 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,016 people with the surname Mello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,632), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Mello.
Has Mello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mello went from 11,670 recorded bearers to 11,016. That is a decrease of 654 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,076 to #3,200.
What does the Census say about the background of Mello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mello, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Mello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (9,533 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Hispanic (7.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Mello (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 Mello mean?
A surname of Italian origin, derived from a nickname meaning "honey" or "sweet," likely referring to a sweet personality. 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 Mello (3.69 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 are called Mello?
Want to know how common the surname Mello is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.