Explore the Family Name Melena
The meaning of Melena
Spanish and Portuguese: probably a nickname from melena, a term denoting a piece of leather placed on the horns of an ox so that the yoke would not harm them, possibly applied to someone in charge of an ox as a draft animal. By extension, melena came to mean ‘mane’ and ‘long hair’, probably applied to someone with long or untidy hair. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Efrain, Adan, Alvaro, Ana, Angel, Angelina, Aurelio, Blanca, Caridad, Carolina, Consuelo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Melena in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Melena has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Melena ranked 26,614th in terms of popularity but jumped to the 22,026th position in 2010, marking a 17.24% change. The number of individuals with this surname also grew from 861 to 1,177 during the same period, which is a 36.7% increase. Accordingly, the proportion of people named Melena per 100,000 increased by 25%, rising from 0.32 to 0.4.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #26,614 | #22,026 | 17.24% |
| Count | 861 | 1,177 | 36.7% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.32 | 0.4 | 25% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Melena
Regarding ethnicity, the Melena surname largely identifies with the Hispanic ethnic group, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, 84.67% of those with this surname were Hispanic, a figure that slightly rose to 84.96% in 2010. The percentage of Whites with the Melena surname dropped marginally from 14.05% to 12.91%. Meanwhile, there was no recorded data for people of Asian or Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities in 2000. However, in 2010, there was a slight representation of these groups, with 0.85% identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and 0.68% as Black. There were no changes in the representation of people with two or more races or American Indian and Alaskan Natives.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 84.67% | 84.96% | 0.34% |
| White | 14.05% | 12.91% | -8.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.85% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0.68% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |