2000
#7,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Melville
From a place name derived from Old English meaning "bad ford," referring to a dangerously steep riverbank crossing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,788 Americans carry the last name Melville. That puts it at #7,641 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,586 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Melville 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 Melville with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,586
Census rank
#7,641
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,175 bearers of the surname Melville in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7641st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Melville, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Melville
The surname Melville has its origins in Normandy, France, and it is believed to have emerged around the 11th century. The name is derived from the French words "mel" meaning "hill" and "ville" meaning "town," indicating that the original bearers of this name likely resided in a town situated on a hill.
One of the earliest records of the name Melville can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Malville" and is associated with several landholders in various counties.
As the Normans expanded their influence across England and Scotland, the Melville surname spread throughout these regions. In Scotland, the name is closely tied to the historical region of Angus, where the Melvilles were prominent landowners and influential figures.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Melville was Sir Richard Melville, born around 1150, who served as a knight and courtier under King David I of Scotland. Another notable figure was Sir James Melville (1535-1617), a renowned Scottish diplomat and writer who served under Mary, Queen of Scots, and later James VI of Scotland.
In England, the Melville surname can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable bearer was Sir John Melville (1545-1629), a prominent English courtier and politician who served as a member of the Privy Council under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.
The name Melville has also been associated with literary figures, such as Herman Melville (1819-1891), the American novelist and poet best known for his masterpiece "Moby-Dick." Other notable individuals include Andrew Melville (1545-1622), a Scottish scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation, and Sir James Melville (1690-1768), a Scottish historian and philosopher.
Throughout history, the Melville surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Malville, Melvill, Melvile, and Melvin, reflecting the regional differences and evolving language patterns. Place names like Melville Castle in Scotland and Melville, New York, in the United States, further highlight the widespread influence of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Melville
Among Census respondents with the surname Melville, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Melville 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 Melville surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.4% · 3,274
- Black or African American12.1% · 506
- Two or more races3.7% · 155
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 154
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Melville
Melville 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
#7,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,355
+236 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 174 places
2020
#7,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,175
-180 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,449 | 4,119 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,623 | 4,355 | 1.48 | +236 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 174 places |
| 2020 | #7,641 | 4,175 | 1.40 | -180 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 18 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 Melville 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 | #7,623 | #7,641 | -0.2% |
| Count | 4,355 | 4,175 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.48 | 1.40 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Melville bearers went from 4,355 to 4,175 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,623 to #7,641.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Melville
FAQ
Melville surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Melville?
Name Census estimates that about 4,788 living Americans carry the surname Melville. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,586 residents.
How common is Melville?
Melville ranks #7,641 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,175 people with the surname Melville. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,788), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Melville.
Has Melville become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Melville went from 4,355 recorded bearers to 4,175. That is a decrease of 180 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,623 to #7,641.
What does the Census say about the background of Melville?
Among Census respondents with the surname Melville, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Melville in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (3,274 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Melville appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.4%), Black (12.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Melville (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 Melville mean?
From a place name derived from Old English meaning "bad ford," referring to a dangerously steep riverbank crossing. 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 Melville (1.40 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 share the surname Melville?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.