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

Melnik, 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 Melnik surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melnik in America

Melnik is the 16876th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melnik surname appeared 1,689 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 Melnik.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melnik 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 Melnik

The surname MELNIK has its origins in Poland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Polish word "mielnik," which means "miller" or someone who operates a mill. This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who worked in mills, either grinding grain or processing other materials.

During the Middle Ages, surnames began to emerge as a way to distinguish between people with the same first names. MELNIK was one of the many occupational surnames that emerged in Poland, reflecting the importance of mills and the milling industry at that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MELNIK can be found in a 14th-century Polish census record from the town of Krakow. This document lists several individuals with the surname, indicating that the name was already established in that region by that time.

In the 16th century, a notable individual named Jakub MELNIK was a prominent miller in the town of Poznan. His name appears in several local records and documents from that era, providing insight into the lives of millers during that period.

Another historical figure with the surname MELNIK was Jan MELNIK, a Polish soldier who fought in the Polish-Swedish War in the mid-17th century. He is mentioned in several military chronicles and records from that conflict.

In the 18th century, a renowned Polish painter named Stanislaw MELNIK gained recognition for his landscapes and portraiture. His works can be found in several museums and private collections across Poland.

Moving into the 19th century, a notable individual with the surname MELNIK was Andrzej MELNIK, a Polish author and poet who wrote several influential works during the Romantic era. He was born in 1810 and died in 1875.

Another prominent individual with the surname MELNIK was Wladyslaw MELNIK, a Polish economist and political theorist who lived from 1865 to 1938. He made significant contributions to the field of economic analysis and was widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of his time.

Throughout its history, the surname MELNIK has maintained a strong connection to its occupational roots, reflecting the importance of mills and the milling industry in Polish society over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melnik

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

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

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

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