Explore the Family Name Melito

The meaning of Melito

Italian (southern): habitational name from Melito di Napoli in Naples province, Melito Irpino in Avellino, or Melito Porto Salvo in Reggio Calabria, which takes its name from the Melito river, from Greek potamos tou melitos ‘river of honey’. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Calogero, Carmelo, Carmine, Giacomo, Mario, Orlando, Salvatore, Vito.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Melito in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Melito has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, it ranked 31,817 in popularity and by 2010, it had fallen to 32,865, representing a change of -3.29%. Despite this fall in rank, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased marginally from 686 in 2000 to 698 in 2010, a rise of 1.75%. However, the proportion per 100k people dropped by 4% over the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#31,817#32,865-3.29%
Count6866981.75%
Proportion per 100k0.250.24-4%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Melito

As for the ethnicity associated with the surname Melito, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that it is predominantly tied to those of White ethnic identity. In 2000, 97.38% of those with the surname identified as White, falling slightly to 96.56% in 2010. The Hispanic representation also saw an increase, rising from 1.02% in 2000 to 1.72% in 2010, marking a significant jump of 68.63%. Interestingly, by 2010, there were also some individuals identifying with two or more races. There was no change in the percentage of people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White97.38%96.56%-0.84%
Hispanic1.02%1.72%68.63%
Two or More Races0%1%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%