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

Melmed, 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 Melmed surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melmed in America

Melmed is the 123064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melmed surname appeared 140 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 Melmed.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melmed 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 Melmed

The surname Melmed originates from the Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Eastern Europe, particularly Poland and Russia, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is derived from the Yiddish word "melmed," meaning "scholar" or "learned person," suggesting that the surname may have been initially bestowed upon individuals who were well-educated or devoted to religious studies.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Melmed surname can be found in the Revision Lists, a series of census-like documents compiled by the Russian Empire in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to track the Jewish population. These records provide valuable insights into the geographic distribution and prevalence of the surname during that period.

The Melmed surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. For instance, Moshe Melmed (1892-1975) was a prominent Zionist leader and member of the Jewish National Council in Palestine during the British Mandate period. Another individual, Solomon Melmed (1910-2003), was a renowned American hematologist and medical researcher who made significant contributions to the understanding of blood disorders.

In the realm of literature, the name Melmed appears in the works of Sholem Aleichem, the celebrated Yiddish author and playwright. One of his characters, Melmed the Teacher, is a recurring figure in several of his stories, reflecting the intellectual and scholarly connotations of the surname.

Historically, variations in spelling and transliteration have existed, such as Melmud, Melmid, or Melmut, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the regions where the surname was prevalent. Additionally, some individuals with the surname Melmed may have originated from or resided in towns or villages that shared similar-sounding names, further contributing to the diversity of spellings.

Another notable figure bearing the Melmed surname was Isaac Melamed (1590-1658), a renowned Kabbalist and Rabbi who lived in Salonika, Greece. His writings and teachings had a significant impact on the development of Jewish mysticism during the 17th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Melmed has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, writers, religious leaders, and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences associated with this distinctive surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melmed

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

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

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

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