NameCensus.

UK surname

Melloy

From the Latin "melleus" meaning "honey sweet".

In the 1881 census there were 98 people recorded with the Melloy surname, ranking it #19,999 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 184, ranked #20,731, down from #19,999 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rutherglen, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Muirton, Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond and Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Melloy is 184 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.8%.

1881 census count

98

Ranked #19,999

Modern count

184

2016, ranked #20,731

Peak year

2016

184 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Melloy had 98 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,999 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016, ranked #20,731.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 134 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Melloy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Melloy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Melloy 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 62 #22,232
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 98 #19,999
1891 historical 134 #19,777
1901 historical 105 #22,179
1911 historical 95 #23,294
1997 modern 167 #19,722
1998 modern 165 #20,423
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 154 #21,415
2001 modern 156 #20,974
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 156 #21,115
2004 modern 160 #20,926
2005 modern 166 #20,379
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 170 #20,672
2009 modern 171 #21,024
2010 modern 163 #22,205
2011 modern 166 #21,745
2012 modern 175 #20,984
2013 modern 182 #20,795
2014 modern 180 #21,115
2015 modern 179 #21,069
2016 modern 184 #20,731

Geography

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Where Melloys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rutherglen, London parishes, Manchester, Perth and St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Muirton, Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond, Swale, Alyth and Cannock Chase. 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 Rutherglen Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Perth Perth
5 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Muirton Perth and Kinross
2 Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond Perth and Kinross
3 Swale 011 Swale
4 Alyth Perth and Kinross
5 Cannock Chase 005 Cannock Chase

Forenames

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First names often paired with Melloy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Melloy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Melloy, 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 Melloy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Melloy 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Melloy is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Melloy is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Melloy falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Melloy

The surname Melloy has its origins in Ireland, where it emerged in the late 12th century during the period of Norman influence and settlement in the country. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "mellier," which means "honey-maker" or "beekeeper," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in apiculture or the production of honey.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Melloy can be found in the Pipe Rolls of County Meath from the late 12th century, where a person named William Melloy is mentioned. This indicates that the name had already established itself in Ireland by that time.

The Melloy surname is particularly prevalent in counties such as Meath, Dublin, and Kildare, where it is believed to have originated. Several variants of the spelling have been documented over the centuries, including Meloy, Melloe, and Mellowe, reflecting the evolution of language and pronunciation.

In the 16th century, a notable individual bearing the Melloy surname was Sir John Melloy, who served as the Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1545. His tenure as the city's chief magistrate was a significant milestone for the Melloy family, solidifying their standing in Irish society.

Another prominent figure associated with the Melloy name was Reverend John Melloy, born in 1763, who was a renowned Church of Ireland clergyman and served as the Rector of Kilmore in County Armagh from 1808 until his death in 1835.

The Melloy surname also has a connection to the literary world through the Irish poet and novelist Patrick Melloy, who was born in County Meath in 1848 and gained recognition for his works celebrating Irish culture and history.

In the realm of politics, John Melloy, born in 1881, was a notable figure who served as a Member of Parliament for the Irish Parliamentary Party, representing the constituency of North Meath from 1910 to 1918.

While the Melloy name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to emigration and migration. Several individuals bearing this surname have made significant contributions in various fields, further adding to the rich tapestry of its historical legacy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Melloy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Melloy 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. Lancashire leads with 45 Melloys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 45 3.97x
Durham 11 3.87x
Lanarkshire 8 2.59x
Ayrshire 7 9.78x
Cumberland 7 8.51x
Middlesex 5 0.52x
Kent 4 1.23x
Perthshire 4 9.32x
Worcestershire 3 2.40x
Northumberland 1 0.70x
Surrey 1 0.21x
Sussex 1 0.62x
Yorkshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheetham in Lancashire leads with 17 Melloys recorded in 1881 and an index of 200.95x.

Place Total Index
Cheetham 17 200.95x
Manchester 17 33.33x
Cleator 7 204.08x
Kilmarnock 7 82.26x
Droylsden 6 162.16x
Liverpool 5 7.26x
New Monkland 5 54.70x
Bromley London 4 19.02x
Deptford St Paul 4 15.90x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 32.47x
Wollaston 3 379.75x
Brandon Byshottles 2 56.18x
Govan 2 2.62x
Haswell 2 98.04x
Perth Middle Church 2 124.22x
Whitworth 2 96.15x
Bradford 1 4.36x
Broadwater 1 27.03x
Cramlington 1 53.19x
Findo Gask 1 833.33x
Ham 1 476.19x
Kimblesworth 1 263.16x
Perth East Church 1 24.75x
Rutherglen 1 22.03x
Twickenham 1 24.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 8
Margaret 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Celia 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Kate 1
Lousia 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Selina 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
James 6
Patrick 2
Peter 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Bernard 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Frederick 1
J.Henry 1
Joseph 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Rosanna 1
Tho. 1
Tom 1
William 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 Melloy households.

FAQ

Melloy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Melloy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 98 people were recorded with the Melloy surname. That placed it at #19,999 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Melloy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016. That gives Melloy a modern rank of #20,731.

What does the Melloy surname mean?

From the Latin "melleus" meaning "honey sweet".

What does the Melloy map show?

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