Explore the Family Name Melville
The meaning of Melville
1. Scottish (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of the various places in Normandy called Malleville, from Latin mala ‘bad’ + ville ‘settlement’. 2. Irish (mainly Ulster): English surname adopted by bearers of Gaelic Ó Maoilmhichíl ‘descendant of Maoilmhichil’, a personal name meaning ‘devotee of (Saint) Michael’. History: The American novelist Herman Melville (1819–91) was a descendant of the Scottish Melvilles. His maternal grandfather was the revolutionary war general Peter Gansevoort (born 1749 in Albany, NY). His paternal grandfather was Maj. Thomas Melville of Boston. Irish bearers of the name claim descent from Maol Mhichíl, a chief of Síol Muireadhaigh (County Roscommon) in the 9th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Melville in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Melville saw a small dip in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Melville was ranked 7,449th most popular surname, dropping to 7,623rd by 2010, marking a 2.34 percent decrease in rank. Despite this, the actual number of people bearing the surname increased, with a count of 4,119 in 2000 growing to 4,355 in 2010, an increase of 5.73 percent. The proportion per 100,000 also experienced a slight decrease, falling 3.27 percent over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,449 | #7,623 | -2.34% |
| Count | 4,119 | 4,355 | 5.73% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.53 | 1.48 | -3.27% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Melville
Ethnically, the Melville surname has seen some shifts as well, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. While White individuals accounted for the majority of Melvilles in both years, their share fell slightly from 86.04 percent in 2000 to 82.39 percent in 2010. The portion of Melvilles identifying as Black increased from 8.86 percent in 2000 to 11.32 percent in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic also showed increases, rising 57.50 percent and 45.71 percent respectively. There was a minor growth among American Indian and Alaskan Natives, increasing by 18.97 percent while those identifying with two or more ethnic identities saw a decrease of 9.14 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.04% | 82.39% | -4.24% |
| Black | 8.86% | 11.32% | 27.77% |
| Hispanic | 1.75% | 2.55% | 45.71% |
| Two or More Races | 1.97% | 1.79% | -9.14% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.8% | 1.26% | 57.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.58% | 0.69% | 18.97% |
Melville ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Melville is British & Irish, which comprises 53.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.0%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.5% |
| French & German | 20.0% |
| Scandinavian | 4.4% |
| Other | 22.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Melville
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Melville have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
What Melville haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Melville is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and I-CTS616, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Prescott, Loyd, Styles, Renner, Blythe, Riddell, Steen, Cody, Dorman, Prince.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Melville surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Melville have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Melville" Surname 43.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Melville" Surname 27.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Melville" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Melville" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Melville?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Melville are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition