2000
#4,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,743
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.50
Uncommon Last name
Melo
A surname of Italian and Portuguese origin, derived from the word "melo" meaning "honey" or "sweet."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,128 Americans carry the last name Melo. That puts it at #3,335 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,261 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Melo 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Melo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,261
Census rank
#3,335
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,576 bearers of the surname Melo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3335th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Melo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (42.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Melo
The surname Melo has its origins in the Portuguese language and is believed to have originated in the northern region of Portugal. It is derived from the Latin word "melum," which means "apple" or "fruit." The name likely referred to someone who either cultivated or sold apples or other fruits.
The earliest known records of the surname Melo date back to the 12th century, when it was mentioned in various medieval documents from the region. One notable mention is in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical record from the 13th century, where the Melo family is listed as one of the noble families of the time.
In the 14th century, the Melo family played a significant role in the political and military affairs of Portugal. Martim Vasques de Melo (1285-1346) was a prominent Portuguese knight and military commander who fought in the Portuguese War of Independence against Castile. He was rewarded for his services by King Afonso IV with land grants and titles.
Another notable figure with the surname Melo was Vasco Martins de Melo (1380-1455), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who participated in the early voyages of exploration along the West African coast. He served as a navigator and cartographer under the famous Prince Henry the Navigator.
In the 16th century, the Melo family expanded their influence to the Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia. Francisco de Melo (1490-1536) was a Portuguese explorer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Portuguese India from 1521 to 1524.
During the 17th century, the Melo surname gained prominence in the literary and philosophical circles of Portugal. Francisco Manuel de Melo (1608-1666) was a celebrated Portuguese author, historian, and philosopher known for his works such as "Epanáforas de Vária História Portuguesa" (Epanalepses of Various Portuguese History) and "Carta de Guia de Casados" (Guide for Married Couples).
Over the centuries, the Melo surname has spread to various parts of the world, particularly to former Portuguese colonies and territories, including Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and Goa, India. Notable individuals with the surname Melo include Raimundo Faísca Melo (1934-2021), a Brazilian footballer who played for several clubs in the 1950s and 1960s, and António Agostinho Neto (1922-1979), the first president of Angola and a prominent figure in the country's independence movement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Melo
Among Census respondents with the surname Melo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (42.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Melo 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 Melo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino52.2% · 5,522
- White42.0% · 4,442
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 277
- Black or African American1.7% · 176
- Two or more races1.3% · 137
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Melo
Melo 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
#3,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,731
+2,988 bearers (+44.3%)
Per 100,000 3.30
Rank movement Up 1,127 places
2020
#3,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,576
+845 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 3.54
Rank movement Up 320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,782 | 6,743 | 2.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,655 | 9,731 | 3.30 | +2,988 bearers (+44.3%) | Up 1,127 places |
| 2020 | #3,335 | 10,576 | 3.54 | +845 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 320 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 Melo 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 | #3,655 | #3,335 | 8.8% |
| Count | 9,731 | 10,576 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.30 | 3.54 | 7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Melo bearers went from 9,731 to 10,576 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 320 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,655 to #3,335.
FAQ
Melo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Melo?
Name Census estimates that about 12,128 living Americans carry the surname Melo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,261 residents.
How common is Melo?
Melo ranks #3,335 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.54 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 10,576 people with the surname Melo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.54 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 Melo.
Has Melo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Melo went from 9,731 recorded bearers to 10,576. That is an increase of 845 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,655 to #3,335.
What does the Census say about the background of Melo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Melo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (42.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Melo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.2% (5,522 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Melo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (52.2%), White (42.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Melo (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 Melo mean?
A surname of Italian and Portuguese origin, derived from the word "melo" meaning "honey" or "sweet." 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 Melo (3.54 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 Melo?
Find out how common the surname Melo is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.