NameCensus.

UK surname

Mellen

Derived from a French place name, likely referring to someone from a town called Melun or a similar name.

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Mellen surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, down from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Caldbeck, Illogan and Feock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Caerphilly and Barrow-in-Furness.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mellen is 143 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.3%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

2014

143 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mellen had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 126 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Mellen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mellen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mellen 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 112 #15,913
1861 historical 126 #17,569
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 90 #25,399
1901 historical 91 #23,921
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 124 #23,669
1998 modern 133 #23,308
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 122 #24,366
2002 modern 128 #24,150
2003 modern 120 #24,909
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 124 #24,750
2007 modern 126 #24,860
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 128 #25,427
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 140 #24,395
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 142 #24,547
2014 modern 143 #24,621
2015 modern 143 #24,481
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Mellens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Caldbeck, Illogan, Feock, Millom, Muncaster and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Caerphilly, Barrow-in-Furness and Newport. 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 Caldbeck Cumberland
2 Illogan Cornwall
3 Feock Cornwall
4 Millom, Muncaster Cumberland
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 008 Copeland
2 Caerphilly 016 Caerphilly
3 Barrow-in-Furness 003 Barrow-in-Furness
4 Barrow-in-Furness 006 Barrow-in-Furness
5 Newport 001 Newport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mellen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mellen

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Mellen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mellen 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Mellen is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Mellen is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mellen falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mellen 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 Mellen, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mellen

The surname Mellen has its roots in the Old English word "melene," which means "mill" or "mill stream." It originated in England during the medieval period, typically referring to individuals who lived near a mill or worked as millers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mellen name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property conducted in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Meleham" and "Meleburn," referring to locations in Hampshire and Derbyshire, respectively.

As the name evolved, various spellings emerged, including Mellon, Mellin, and Melland. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes who recorded official documents.

Notable individuals bearing the Mellen surname include Robert Mellen (c. 1565-1640), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Nottingham in the early 17th century. Another prominent figure was James Mellen (1733-1810), an American lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1801 to 1807.

In the realm of literature, Grenville Mellen (1799-1841) was an American author and poet known for his contributions to the literary magazine "The North American Review." Meanwhile, in the field of education, Charles Mellen (1831-1900) was a prominent figure, serving as the president of the University of West Virginia from 1869 to 1875.

Across the Atlantic, the Mellen name also gained recognition in Europe. One notable bearer was Friedrich Mellen (1833-1918), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the late 19th century.

These examples illustrate the diverse histories and accomplishments associated with the Mellen surname, spanning various professions and regions throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mellen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mellen 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. Lanarkshire leads with 16 Mellens recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.50x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 16 6.50x
Cornwall 12 13.93x
Yorkshire 10 1.33x
Cumberland 8 12.21x
Worcestershire 8 8.05x
Lancashire 7 0.78x
Kent 4 1.54x
Angus 2 2.84x
Cheshire 2 1.19x
Hampshire 2 1.28x
Herefordshire 2 6.41x
Warwickshire 2 1.04x
Northumberland 1 0.88x
Renfrewshire 1 1.70x
Wiltshire 1 1.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Millom in Cumberland leads with 8 Mellens recorded in 1881 and an index of 398.01x.

Place Total Index
Millom 8 398.01x
Tenbury 8 1481.48x
Barony 7 11.24x
Blantyre 6 234.38x
Feock 5 925.93x
Leeds 4 9.40x
Cadder 3 164.84x
Eltham 3 197.37x
Redruth 3 122.95x
Aston 2 3.79x
Dundee 2 7.60x
Illogan 2 87.72x
Leftwich 2 266.67x
Liverpool 2 3.65x
Lugwardine 2 1000.00x
Portsea 2 6.54x
Wortley In Bramley 2 33.50x
Abbey 1 11.11x
Bowling 1 13.39x
Bradford 1 5.48x
Great Cheverell 1 1000.00x
Haslingden 1 26.74x
Ilkley 1 81.30x
Langfield 1 75.76x
Maidstone 1 12.94x
Manchester 1 2.46x
Oswaldtwistle 1 31.35x
Pennington In Leigh 1 57.80x
St Austell 1 34.01x
St Blazey 1 131.58x
Warkworth 1 555.56x
Wavertree 1 34.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Catherine 3
Elizabeth 3
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Arabella 1
Betty 1
Cathalena 1
Elizh. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Harriett 1
Harriette 1
Jane 1
Margaret 1
Periscilla 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
John 3
Charles 2
James 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Aulker 1
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
Tom 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 Mellen households.

FAQ

Mellen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mellen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Mellen surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mellen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Mellen a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Mellen surname mean?

Derived from a French place name, likely referring to someone from a town called Melun or a similar name.

What does the Mellen map show?

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