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

Melnick, 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 Melnick surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melnick in America

Melnick is the 11081st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melnick surname appeared 2,864 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 Melnick.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melnick 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 Melnick

The surname Melnick is of Slavic origin, derived from the word "melnyk" which means "miller" in various Slavic languages. It originated in areas of Eastern Europe where Slavic languages were spoken, such as Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries in these regions.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Andriy Melnick, a miller from the village of Kozelets in modern-day Ukraine, who was mentioned in a local census record from 1612. The name was often associated with individuals whose occupation involved operating a mill or residing near a mill.

In some areas, the name may have also been derived from place names containing the word "melnyk" or its variants, such as the town of Melnyky in western Ukraine. The spelling of the name varied across different regions, with variations like Melnyk, Melnik, and Melnitsky being common.

Notable historical figures with the surname Melnick include Hryhoriy Melnick (1768-1842), a Ukrainian priest and writer who authored several religious texts. Another prominent bearer of the name was Pavlo Melnick (1854-1920), a Ukrainian painter known for his landscapes and portraits.

In the 19th century, the name began to spread beyond Eastern Europe as Slavic immigrants settled in other parts of the world, particularly in North America. One such individual was Ivan Melnick (1876-1958), a Ukrainian-born farmer who emigrated to Canada and established a successful agricultural business in Saskatchewan.

Another notable figure was Mikhail Melnick (1909-1983), a Russian-born chemist who made significant contributions to the field of polymer chemistry and held several patents for his inventions. He spent most of his career working in the United States after fleeing the Soviet Union.

While the surname Melnick is not as widespread as some other Slavic surnames, it has a rich history rooted in the occupational and cultural traditions of Eastern Europe. Its prevalence in various regions reflects the migration patterns of Slavic populations over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melnick

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

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

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

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