NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcmellon

An Anglicized surname derived from the Scottish Gaelic name MacMìlleadh, meaning "son of the tonsured one".

In the 1881 census there were 27 people recorded with the Mcmellon surname, ranking it #29,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 79, ranked #33,100, down from #29,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Manchester and Fylde.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcmellon is 103 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 192.6%.

1881 census count

27

Ranked #29,793

Modern count

79

2016, ranked #33,100

Peak year

2002

103 bearers

Map years

1

1998 to 1998

Key insights

  • Mcmellon had 27 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 79 in 2016, ranked #33,100.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 63 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mcmellon surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mcmellon surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mcmellon surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcmellon over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 15 #30,614
1861 historical 51 #27,498
1881 historical 27 #29,793
1891 historical 47 #30,566
1901 historical 60 #27,502
1911 historical 63 #26,537
1997 modern 94 #27,781
1998 modern 100 #27,619
1999 modern 99 #27,906
2000 modern 101 #27,555
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 89 #29,380
2004 modern 83 #30,352
2005 modern 75 #31,400
2006 modern 79 #31,263
2007 modern 78 #31,748
2008 modern 79 #31,957
2009 modern 85 #31,717
2010 modern 89 #31,745
2011 modern 84 #32,237
2012 modern 87 #32,180
2013 modern 88 #32,349
2014 modern 85 #32,743
2015 modern 83 #32,847
2016 modern 79 #33,100

Geography

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Where Mcmellons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Manchester and Fylde. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 008 Central Bedfordshire
2 Manchester 003 Manchester
3 Manchester 011 Manchester
4 Fylde 007 Fylde
5 Manchester 030 Manchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcmellon

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mcmellon surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcmellon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcmellon, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Mcmellon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mcmellon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Mcmellon is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcmellon is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcmellon falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcmellon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcmellon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcmellon

The surname McMellon has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "meilin" which refers to a person with a honey-sweet or gentle disposition. The earliest recorded spelling variations of the name include McMellin, McMellon, and McMellyn.

Historical records show that the McMellon family first settled in County Donegal, located in the northern part of Ireland. They were among the prominent families in the area during the 16th and 17th centuries. The name is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Seamus McMellon, a landowner in Donegal who was born around 1570. His son, Cormac McMellon, was a noted scholar and poet who lived from 1610 to 1678. Cormac's works were widely circulated and helped to establish the family's reputation in the region.

In the late 17th century, many McMellons were forced to leave Ireland due to the political and religious turmoil of the time. Some members of the family settled in Scotland, while others sought refuge in the American colonies. One notable figure was Patrick McMellon, born in 1675, who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 1700s and became a successful merchant.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the McMellon name continued to spread across the British Isles and North America. Notable individuals included John McMellon (1745-1819), a Scottish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War, and Mary McMellon (1798-1872), an Irish-American writer and educator who advocated for women's rights.

Another prominent McMellon was William McMellon (1820-1892), a businessman and philanthropist from Ohio. He amassed a considerable fortune through his investments in the coal and steel industries and donated generously to educational and cultural institutions in his later years.

Over the centuries, the McMellon surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of the family's history and its enduring presence across multiple regions and nations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcmellon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcmellon surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cumberland leads with 1 Mcmellons recorded in 1881 and an index of 120.48x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 1 120.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitehaven in Cumberland leads with 1 Mcmellons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2500.00x.

Place Total Index
Whitehaven 1 2500.00x

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mcmellon surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mcmellon households.

Occupation Count
AngleIron Smith 1 Builder) 1

FAQ

Mcmellon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcmellon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 27 people were recorded with the Mcmellon surname. That placed it at #29,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcmellon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 79 in 2016. That gives Mcmellon a modern rank of #33,100.

What does the Mcmellon surname mean?

An Anglicized surname derived from the Scottish Gaelic name MacMìlleadh, meaning "son of the tonsured one".

What does the Mcmellon map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcmellon bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.