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

Melrose, 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 Melrose surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Melrose in America

Melrose is the 20232nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Melrose surname appeared 1,316 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 Melrose.

We can also compare 2010 data for Melrose 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 Melrose

The surname MELROSE originated in Scotland during the 12th century. It was a locational name derived from the town of Melrose in Roxburghshire, which itself was named after a Celtic word meaning "bare moor" or "naked ridge."

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to 1153, when it appeared as "de Malros" in the Melrose Regality Records. This referred to someone who hailed from the town of Melrose, which was home to the famous Melrose Abbey, founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks.

During the Middle Ages, the Melrose family played a prominent role in the region, with several members holding positions of authority within the Church and local nobility. One notable figure was Sir William Melrose, who served as the Abbot of Melrose from 1297 to 1317.

As the name spread across Scotland, variations in spelling emerged, including Melros, Melross, and Mellrose. These alternative forms were common in historical documents, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.

By the 16th century, the MELROSE surname had also gained a foothold in England, particularly in the northern counties. One of the earliest recorded English bearers was John Melrose, born in 1542 in Northumberland, who later became a merchant in London.

Other notable individuals with the MELROSE surname include:

1. Thomas Melrose (1768-1835), a Scottish poet and writer from Crieff, Perthshire, known for his works on Scottish history and folklore.

2. Andrew Melrose (1836-1901), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

3. William Melrose (1879-1962), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1932 to 1937.

4. Robert Melrose (1923-2005), an American mathematician and professor at MIT, renowned for his contributions to partial differential equations and mathematical analysis.

5. Iain Melrose (born 1950), a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for clubs like Aberdeen and Rangers in the 1970s and 1980s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Melrose

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

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

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

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