NameCensus.

UK surname

Mellard

A variant of the French surname Mallard, derived from the French word for duck.

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Mellard surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 152, ranked #23,516, down from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Beighton, Manchester and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Erewash and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mellard is 202 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.5%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

152

2016, ranked #23,516

Peak year

1861

202 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mellard had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016, ranked #23,516.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 202 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Mellard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mellard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mellard 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 128 #14,474
1861 historical 202 #11,906
1881 historical 101 #19,636
1891 historical 183 #15,918
1901 historical 187 #15,793
1911 historical 161 #17,072
1997 modern 166 #19,797
1998 modern 169 #20,104
1999 modern 161 #20,868
2000 modern 161 #20,822
2001 modern 161 #20,543
2002 modern 155 #21,431
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 145 #22,289
2005 modern 141 #22,688
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 130 #24,389
2008 modern 136 #24,004
2009 modern 146 #23,352
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 151 #23,204
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 155 #23,108
2014 modern 151 #23,745
2015 modern 149 #23,817
2016 modern 152 #23,516

Geography

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Where Mellards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Beighton, Manchester, Nottingham St Mary, Wath-on-Dearn and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Erewash, East Riding of Yorkshire and Shropshire. 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 Beighton Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
4 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 026 Rotherham
2 Erewash 008 Erewash
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 041 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Shropshire 037 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mellard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mellard

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mellard, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Mellard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mellard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Mellard is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mellard is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mellard falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mellard is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mellard

The surname MELLARD has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "mele," meaning "mill," and "ard," meaning "a high place or ridge." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a mill on a hill or ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hertfordshire Pipe Rolls of 1285, where a person named William Melard is mentioned. The variant spelling "Mellard" is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, referring to a person named John Mellard.

During the 14th century, the name MELLARD was particularly prevalent in the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. Some notable individuals from this period include Robert Mellard, who was recorded as a landowner in the Subsidy Rolls for Essex in 1327, and William Mellard, mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Buckinghamshire in 1381.

In the 15th century, the name MELLARD appeared in various legal documents and records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1482, where a person named John Mellard was mentioned. Additionally, the name was found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Hertfordshire in 1428, referring to a person named Thomas Mellard.

One notable individual from this period was Sir John Mellard, a merchant and benefactor who lived in the late 15th century. He is known for donating funds towards the construction of a chapel in the Church of St. Mary at Hill in London.

In the 16th century, the MELLARD surname continued to be documented in various records, including the Feet of Fines for Hertfordshire in 1509, where a person named William Mellard was mentioned. Another notable figure from this period was Thomas Mellard, a wealthy landowner from Buckinghamshire who was born in 1542 and died in 1618.

As the centuries progressed, the MELLARD name spread to other parts of England, and individuals with this surname made their mark in various fields. For example, John Mellard (1752-1835) was a prominent banker and landowner from Staffordshire, while William Mellard (1888-1965) was a renowned architect from Derbyshire, known for designing several notable buildings in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mellard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mellard 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. Yorkshire leads with 45 Mellards recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.61x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 45 4.61x
Staffordshire 20 6.01x
Derbyshire 13 8.43x
Nottinghamshire 7 5.27x
Wiltshire 7 8.03x
Cheshire 2 0.92x
Hertfordshire 2 2.95x
Lancashire 2 0.17x
Essex 1 0.51x
Lincolnshire 1 0.63x
Middlesex 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Attercliffe Cum Darnall in Yorkshire leads with 12 Mellards recorded in 1881 and an index of 132.01x.

Place Total Index
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 12 132.01x
Uttoxeter 8 470.59x
Beighton 7 1000.00x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 119.05x
Brightside Bierlow 6 31.33x
Church Gresley 6 244.90x
Mirfield 6 111.94x
Salisbury St Martin 6 659.34x
Brampton Bierlow 5 400.00x
Nottingham St Mary 5 14.56x
Cleckheaton 4 111.11x
Stafford St Mary 3 63.69x
Denby 2 377.36x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 10.07x
Failsworth 2 74.91x
Huddersfield 2 14.06x
Leeds 2 3.63x
Nottingham St Peter 2 135.14x
Sheffield 2 6.44x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 5.67x
Watford 2 38.02x
Wistaston 2 1428.57x
Carleton In Pontefract 1 909.09x
Great Bedwin 1 161.29x
Kensington London 1 1.83x
Manthorpe Cum Little 1 83.33x
Morley 1 19.69x
West Ham 1 2.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Sarah 6
Elizabeth 4
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Rose 2
Agnes 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanney 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
James 1
Lena 1
Lettey 1
Letty 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Minnie 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
John 6
Frederick 3
Joseph 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Fred 2
James 2
Saml. 2
Thomas 2
Chales 1
Geo.Underhill 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jim 1
Oliver 1
Ralp 1
Richard 1
Richd.B. 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Thos.Wm. 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wilson 1

FAQ

Mellard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mellard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 101 people were recorded with the Mellard surname. That placed it at #19,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mellard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016. That gives Mellard a modern rank of #23,516.

What does the Mellard surname mean?

A variant of the French surname Mallard, derived from the French word for duck.

What does the Mellard map show?

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