Explore the Family Name Melis
The meaning of Melis
1. Italian (Sardinia): habitational name from a place so named in Sardinia. 2. German: variant of Melius. 3. Dutch: variant of Millis 2 and 3. 4. Czech and Slovak (Meliš); Hungarian: from a short form of the personal name Melichar ‘Melchior’. Compare Mellish. 5. Greek: from the personal name Melis, a pet form of Meletios or Melitōn, names of various early Christian martyrs and saints, derived from either meli ‘honey’ or meletan ‘care for, study’. Compare Mellis. 6. American shortened form of a Greek surname ending in -melis, e.g. Papathemelis ‘Themelios the priest’. 7. Scottish: variant of Mellis 1. 8. Lithuanian (Mėlis): nickname from mėlis ‘blue’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Melis in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Melis had a slight decline in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 48,196th most popular surname and by 2010, it dropped to the 55,255th spot, representing a decrease of approximately 14.65%. The count of individuals with this surname also decreased in this period, going from 412 in 2000 to 372 in 2010, marking a negative change of 9.71%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals with the surname Melis per 100k people fell from 0.15 in 2000 to 0.13 in 2010, showing a decrease of 13.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #48,196 | #55,255 | -14.65% |
| Count | 412 | 372 | -9.71% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.13 | -13.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Melis
Moving onto ethnic identity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of individuals with the surname Melis identify as White. In 2000, this group represented 86.89% and slightly declined to 85.22% by 2010. The second largest group identified as Hispanic, making up 9.95% in 2000 and dropping to 9.41% in 2010. There was no representation for Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in both years. Interestingly, the Black community saw a rise from zero representation in 2000 to 3.76% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as two or more races, however, decreased from 2.43% in 2000 to none in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.89% | 85.22% | -1.92% |
| Hispanic | 9.95% | 9.41% | -5.43% |
| Black | 0% | 3.76% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 2.43% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |