NameCensus.

UK surname

Mellon

A surname of French origin referring to someone who grew or sold melons.

In the 1881 census there were 635 people recorded with the Mellon surname, ranking it #5,588 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,143, ranked #5,159, up from #5,588 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Kilsyth East and Croy and Newport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mellon is 1,162 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.0%.

1881 census count

635

Ranked #5,588

Modern count

1,143

2016, ranked #5,159

Peak year

2011

1,162 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mellon had 635 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,588 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,143 in 2016, ranked #5,159.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 892 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mellon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mellon surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mellon 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 394 #6,105
1861 historical 530 #4,954
1881 historical 635 #5,588
1891 historical 892 #4,617
1901 historical 784 #5,737
1911 historical 392 #9,421
1997 modern 1,067 #5,207
1998 modern 1,110 #5,219
1999 modern 1,114 #5,242
2000 modern 1,109 #5,236
2001 modern 1,084 #5,234
2002 modern 1,094 #5,296
2003 modern 1,100 #5,181
2004 modern 1,092 #5,219
2005 modern 1,123 #5,050
2006 modern 1,113 #5,096
2007 modern 1,136 #5,043
2008 modern 1,134 #5,095
2009 modern 1,154 #5,120
2010 modern 1,157 #5,209
2011 modern 1,162 #5,129
2012 modern 1,124 #5,193
2013 modern 1,134 #5,234
2014 modern 1,142 #5,229
2015 modern 1,119 #5,273
2016 modern 1,143 #5,159

Geography

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Where Mellons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Kilsyth East and Croy, Newport, Northumberland and Auchinairn. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 1
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 004 Copeland
2 Kilsyth East and Croy North Lanarkshire
3 Newport 018 Newport
4 Northumberland 025 Northumberland
5 Auchinairn East Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mellon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mellon

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Mellon is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mellon is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mellon falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mellon 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mellon

The surname Mellon has its origins in France and is derived from the Old French word 'melon', which means 'apple' or 'apple tree'. It is believed that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who lived near an apple orchard or had some association with apples.

This surname is found in the earliest records of the 12th century, particularly in the northern regions of France. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Savigny, a medieval manuscript from 1150, which mentions a person named Radulfus Mellon.

During the Middle Ages, the Mellon name was prominent in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Mellon, suggesting that it was not yet widespread in England at that time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Melun and Melon, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that period. One notable individual from this era was Raoul Mellon, a French nobleman and landowner who lived in the region of Normandy around 1250.

As the centuries progressed, the Mellon surname spread across Europe and gained prominence in different regions. In the 16th century, a notable figure was Anne Mellon, a French playwright and poet who was born in Rouen in 1518 and died in 1590.

The Mellon name also gained recognition in Scotland, where it is believed to have been introduced by French Huguenot settlers. One prominent Scottish bearer of the name was James Mellon, a merchant and shipowner from Aberdeen, who lived from 1728 to 1809.

In the United States, the Mellon surname is associated with the influential Mellon family, which included Andrew W. Mellon (1855-1937), a successful banker, industrialist, and philanthropist who served as the United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932.

Other notable individuals with the Mellon surname include Paul Mellon (1907-1999), an American philanthropist and art collector, and Sir Alfred Mellon (1908-1983), a British businessman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the North Sea oil industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mellon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mellon 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 115 Mellons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.87x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 115 5.87x
Lancashire 100 1.39x
Yorkshire 50 0.83x
Durham 46 2.55x
Middlesex 38 0.63x
Renfrewshire 33 7.03x
Cumberland 30 5.75x
Midlothian 30 3.70x
Surrey 15 0.51x
Gloucestershire 14 1.18x
Ayrshire 13 2.87x
Warwickshire 13 0.85x
Cornwall 11 1.60x
Angus 9 1.60x
Essex 8 0.67x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.98x
Berkshire 7 1.54x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 7.98x
Monmouthshire 7 1.60x
Dunbartonshire 6 3.69x
Kent 6 0.29x
Northumberland 6 0.67x
Staffordshire 6 0.29x
Somerset 5 0.51x
Buteshire 4 10.90x
Glamorgan 4 0.38x
West Lothian 4 4.38x
Cheshire 3 0.22x
Peeblesshire 3 10.53x
Wigtownshire 3 3.73x
Bedfordshire 2 0.64x
Fife 2 0.56x
Norfolk 2 0.21x
Northamptonshire 2 0.35x
Sussex 2 0.20x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.18x
Clackmannanshire 1 2.00x
Herefordshire 1 0.40x
Leicestershire 1 0.15x
Perthshire 1 0.37x
Stirlingshire 1 0.45x
Suffolk 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 40 Mellons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.50x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 40 11.50x
Barony 37 7.46x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 23 7.04x
Govan 19 3.92x
Barrow In Furness 16 16.37x
Liverpool 15 3.44x
Bristol St George 14 25.48x
Benfieldside 10 84.39x
Everton 10 4.36x
Holbeck 10 25.14x
Manchester 10 3.09x
Millom 10 62.58x
Sculcoates 10 10.51x
Abbey 9 12.56x
Dundee 9 4.30x
Birmingham 8 1.57x
Camberwell 8 2.07x
Eastwood 8 27.67x
Lenton 8 41.60x
Newton 8 14.44x
Collierley 7 87.17x
Hackney London 7 2.06x
Kirkcudbright 7 96.42x
Sandhurst 7 79.46x
St Woollos 7 14.32x
West Ham 7 2.65x
Whitehaven 7 25.18x
Cambusnethan 6 13.79x
Hampton London 6 60.24x
Heworth 6 16.90x
Hulme 6 4.00x
Middlesbrough 6 7.68x
Rutherglen 6 20.88x
Trimdon 6 94.19x
Workington 6 20.09x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.90x
Cathcart 5 19.69x
Cheadle 5 50.92x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 4.38x
Cowpen Bewley 5 245.10x
Dalziel 5 23.72x
Dover Castle 5 333.33x
Elland Cum Greetland 5 18.49x
Lambeth 5 0.95x
Leeds 5 1.48x
Thornton In Bradford 5 25.03x
Edinburgh New North 4 56.66x
Ipsley 4 142.86x
Kilmarnock 4 7.41x
Salford 4 1.89x
St Paul Covent Garden 4 66.01x
St Quivox 4 26.09x
Weston 4 53.33x
Byker 3 6.73x
Cardross 3 15.35x
Cumbernauld 3 33.63x
Glasserton 3 120.48x
Great Bolton 3 3.15x
Hanwell 3 27.93x
Kirkdale 3 2.48x
Linlithgow 3 25.64x
Liskeard 3 26.13x
Padiham 3 17.27x
Paisley Middle Church 3 10.98x
Peebles 3 35.63x
Renfrew 3 19.35x
Rothesay 3 16.88x
St Blazey 3 49.83x
Tanfield 3 14.00x
Whickham 3 18.09x
Bedford St Paul 2 9.30x
Carnock 2 91.32x
Dukinfield 2 3.24x
Launcells 2 173.91x
Llanguick 2 10.58x
Neilston 2 8.49x
Paddington London 2 0.90x
St Cleer 2 33.61x
St George Hanover 2 2.53x
St Stephen Coleman 2 124.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 12
Annie 11
Catherine 11
Margaret 9
Ann 7
Ellen 5
Alice 4
Bridget 4
Lucy 4
Anne 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Louisa 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Dorothy 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Eva 2
Gertrude 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Marian 2
Martha 2
Pricilla 2
Rose 2
Susannah 2
Anie 1
Barbary 1
Betty 1
Carletta 1
Dora 1
Dulsabella 1
E. 1
Elberta 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Hester 1
Hilda 1
Hugh 1
Jenny 1
Jessie 1
Triesa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 26
James 22
William 15
Thomas 12
Henry 10
Samuel 8
Joseph 5
Charles 4
Edward 4
Francis 4
George 3
Michael 3
Patrick 3
Richd. 3
Alfred 2
Bernard 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Michal 2
Richard 2
Archie 1
Audley 1
Barnett 1
Ben 1
Bertrude 1
Christopher 1
Davis 1
Denis 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Eponetus 1
Frank 1
Herbert 1
Howell 1
J. 1
J.Wm. 1
Jas. 1
Jasper 1
Lawrence 1
Nicholas 1
Oliver 1
Osborne 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Mellon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mellon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 635 people were recorded with the Mellon surname. That placed it at #5,588 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mellon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,143 in 2016. That gives Mellon a modern rank of #5,159.

What does the Mellon surname mean?

A surname of French origin referring to someone who grew or sold melons.

What does the Mellon map show?

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