NameCensus.

UK surname

Melbourne

A locative surname derived from the city of Melbourne in Derbyshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 609 people recorded with the Melbourne surname, ranking it #5,757 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,202, ranked #4,950, up from #5,757 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ringwood, Duffield and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Amber Valley, West Lindsey and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Melbourne is 1,279 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 97.4%.

1881 census count

609

Ranked #5,757

Modern count

1,202

2016, ranked #4,950

Peak year

2010

1,279 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Melbourne had 609 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,757 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,202 in 2016, ranked #4,950.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,048 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Melbourne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Melbourne surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Melbourne 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 243 #8,983
1861 historical 390 #6,567
1881 historical 609 #5,757
1891 historical 756 #5,271
1901 historical 822 #5,496
1911 historical 1,048 #4,386
1997 modern 1,175 #4,805
1998 modern 1,212 #4,845
1999 modern 1,223 #4,841
2000 modern 1,207 #4,877
2001 modern 1,183 #4,862
2002 modern 1,211 #4,864
2003 modern 1,183 #4,866
2004 modern 1,200 #4,811
2005 modern 1,168 #4,871
2006 modern 1,153 #4,924
2007 modern 1,177 #4,895
2008 modern 1,193 #4,864
2009 modern 1,249 #4,778
2010 modern 1,279 #4,771
2011 modern 1,238 #4,860
2012 modern 1,207 #4,889
2013 modern 1,229 #4,898
2014 modern 1,211 #4,977
2015 modern 1,212 #4,931
2016 modern 1,202 #4,950

Geography

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Where Melbournes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ringwood, Duffield, London parishes, Wirksworth and Sculcoates. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Amber Valley, West Lindsey and Rotherham. 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 Ringwood Hampshire
2 Duffield Derbyshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Wirksworth Derbyshire
5 Sculcoates Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Amber Valley 010 Amber Valley
2 West Lindsey 003 West Lindsey
3 Amber Valley 009 Amber Valley
4 Amber Valley 011 Amber Valley
5 Rotherham 033 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Melbourne

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Melbourne

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Melbourne, 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 Melbourne surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Melbourne 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Melbourne is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Melbourne is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Melbourne falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Melbourne is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Melbourne

The surname MELBOURNE is of English origin, derived from the place name Melbourne in Derbyshire, England. The name itself is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "mill" and "burna," meaning "mill stream" or "mill brook," referring to a settlement near a mill on a stream.

The earliest recorded use of the surname MELBOURNE dates back to the 12th century, with a mention of a Richard de Melbourne in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1199. This indicates that the name was likely adopted by individuals hailing from the village of Melbourne during the medieval period.

In the 13th century, the surname MELBOURNE appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1230, where a William de Melbourne was listed. This suggests that the name had spread to neighboring counties by this time.

One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the surname MELBOURNE was Sir John Melbourne (c.1330-1368), a member of the English gentry and a Knight of the Shire for Derbyshire in the Parliament of 1362.

During the 16th century, the MELBOURNE surname was found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1524, where a John Melbourne was listed. This further reinforces the connection between the surname and the Derbyshire region.

In the 17th century, the MELBOURNE surname gained prominence with Sir Thomas Melbourne (1589-1668), an English politician who served as the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1639 to 1642.

Another notable figure with the MELBOURNE surname was William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (1779-1848), a British statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1834 to 1835 and from 1835 to 1841.

The surname MELBOURNE has also been associated with the Australian city of Melbourne, which was named after Lord Melbourne in 1837. However, the city's name is not directly related to the etymology of the surname itself.

Throughout history, other individuals bearing the MELBOURNE surname have included Sir John Melbourne (c.1470-1535), an English landowner and courtier during the reign of Henry VIII, and Sir Thomas Melbourne (1545-1616), an English politician and member of Parliament.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Melbourne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Melbourne 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. Derbyshire leads with 114 Melbournes recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.26x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 114 12.26x
Middlesex 87 1.46x
Lancashire 62 0.88x
Yorkshire 60 1.02x
Lincolnshire 54 5.69x
Staffordshire 33 1.65x
Cheshire 26 1.98x
Essex 23 1.96x
Leicestershire 23 3.49x
Hampshire 18 1.48x
Cambridgeshire 16 4.25x
Kent 15 0.74x
Devon 12 0.97x
Shropshire 10 1.95x
Norfolk 8 0.88x
Durham 7 0.40x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.87x
Dumfriesshire 5 3.81x
Surrey 4 0.14x
Fife 3 0.85x
Gloucestershire 3 0.26x
Midlothian 3 0.38x
Northamptonshire 3 0.54x
Lanarkshire 2 0.10x
Renfrewshire 2 0.43x
Warwickshire 2 0.13x
Bedfordshire 1 0.33x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.85x
Merionethshire 1 0.92x
Monmouthshire 1 0.23x
Royal Navy 1 1.41x
Wigtownshire 1 1.27x
Worcestershire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Belper in Derbyshire leads with 59 Melbournes recorded in 1881 and an index of 327.23x.

Place Total Index
Belper 59 327.23x
Islington London 26 4.52x
Warrington 24 28.72x
Ringwood 17 218.23x
Ashborne 16 253.16x
Holy Trinity 16 11.30x
Gainsborough 15 66.99x
Great Wakering 15 572.52x
Wirksworth 13 153.66x
Ripley 12 104.35x
Sheffield 12 6.40x
St Pancras London 12 2.51x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 5.64x
Sculcoates 11 11.79x
Leicester St Margaret 9 5.60x
Plymouth Charles The 9 16.52x
Hathern 8 299.63x
Horningsea 8 952.38x
Louth 8 36.75x
Ramsgate 8 24.18x
Monks Coppenhall 7 14.15x
Bury 6 7.45x
Enfield 6 15.39x
Melton Mowbray 6 50.68x
Nottingham St Mary 6 2.90x
St George In East 6 14.85x
Sutton St Mary 6 66.82x
West Ham 6 2.32x
Barton Upon Irwell 5 9.42x
Burton Upon Trent 5 10.66x
Dembleby 5 3333.33x
Drayton In Hales 5 47.26x
Duffield 5 68.21x
Dumfries 5 38.61x
Kensington London 5 1.51x
Leeds 5 1.50x
Manchester 5 1.58x
Nether Hallam 5 6.28x
Newton In Ashton Under 5 38.64x
St Giles 5 45.33x
Walpole St Peter 5 216.45x
Boston 4 13.88x
Crumpsall 4 24.08x
Fradswell 4 1000.00x
Fulham London 4 4.64x
Lewisham 4 3.70x
Lostock Gralam 4 253.16x
Paddington London 4 1.83x
Shrewsbury St Chad 4 22.21x
Tipton 4 6.51x
Burntisland 3 30.52x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 0.94x
Great Shelford 3 151.52x
Leckhampton 3 41.78x
Leftwich 3 51.55x
Liverpool 3 0.70x
Northampton Priory St 3 8.95x
St George Hanover 3 3.87x
St Marylebone London 3 0.95x
St Peterin Eastgate 3 102.04x
Stoke Damerel 3 3.47x
Wharton 3 42.02x
Barlborough 2 58.14x
Billinghay 2 68.26x
Braintree 2 18.99x
Caverswall 2 19.19x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 1.79x
Great Grimsby 2 3.32x
Heap 2 5.35x
Hornsey 2 2.66x
Kirkdale 2 1.69x
Mayfield 2 79.68x
Newington 2 12.34x
Renfrew 2 13.16x
Shoreditch London 2 0.78x
St Luke London 2 2.10x
St Martin Lincoln 2 22.70x
Sunbury 2 28.01x
Walsoken 2 36.43x
York St Maurice 2 18.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 39
Sarah 23
Elizabeth 21
Emma 14
Ann 12
Annie 11
Hannah 10
Jane 10
Alice 9
Ellen 8
Maria 7
Martha 7
Eliza 6
Emily 6
Caroline 4
Catherine 4
Louisa 4
Amy 3
Charlotte 3
Harriet 3
Lydia 3
Margaret 3
Matilda 3
Rebecca 3
Rhoda 3
Ada 2
Clara 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Lavina 2
Lucy 2
Susan 2
Adleaid 1
Amelia 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Carrie 1
Elizth 1
Ernest 1
Esther 1
Hilda 1
Isabella 1
Jenne 1
Jessie 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 37
John 35
James 25
George 20
Thomas 14
Charles 12
Samuel 11
Joseph 10
Robert 9
Walter 9
Arthur 7
Ernest 6
Herbert 6
Wm. 6
Edward 5
Frederick 5
Henry 5
David 4
Harry 4
Chas. 3
Frank 3
Geo. 3
Isaac 3
Sidney 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Edmund 2
Jas. 2
Laban 2
Lewis 2
Newell 2
Noah 2
Pearce 2
Richard 2
Richd. 2
Thos. 2
Alf. 1
Amos 1
Clement 1
Clemente 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Jonathon 1
Laben 1
Leonard 1
Moses 1
Naylor 1
Nevell 1

FAQ

Melbourne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Melbourne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 609 people were recorded with the Melbourne surname. That placed it at #5,757 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Melbourne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,202 in 2016. That gives Melbourne a modern rank of #4,950.

What does the Melbourne surname mean?

A locative surname derived from the city of Melbourne in Derbyshire, England.

What does the Melbourne map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Melbourne 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.