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

Melo, 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 Melo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melo in America

Melo is the 3655th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melo surname appeared 9,731 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Melo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melo 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 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melo

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

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

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

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