NameCensus.

UK surname

Meloy

A surname of Scottish origin meaning "from the island of Mull".

In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Meloy surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 199, ranked #19,653, down from #18,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, London parishes and Workington (Workington), Clossocks. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Burnley, Tendring and Bexley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meloy is 210 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.0%.

1881 census count

115

Ranked #18,230

Modern count

199

2016, ranked #19,653

Peak year

2008

210 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meloy had 115 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016, ranked #19,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 175 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Meloy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meloy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meloy 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 85 #18,940
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 115 #18,230
1891 historical 167 #17,006
1901 historical 168 #16,886
1911 historical 175 #16,246
1997 modern 188 #18,324
1998 modern 195 #18,397
1999 modern 201 #18,179
2000 modern 206 #17,880
2001 modern 196 #18,146
2002 modern 203 #18,115
2003 modern 197 #18,311
2004 modern 204 #17,992
2005 modern 202 #18,016
2006 modern 197 #18,465
2007 modern 201 #18,428
2008 modern 210 #18,052
2009 modern 209 #18,493
2010 modern 206 #19,066
2011 modern 201 #19,213
2012 modern 194 #19,606
2013 modern 209 #18,984
2014 modern 209 #19,128
2015 modern 199 #19,640
2016 modern 199 #19,653

Geography

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Where Meloys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Erith, London parishes, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Lambeth and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Burnley, Tendring and Bexley. 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 Erith Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Burnley 004 Burnley
2 Tendring 017 Tendring
3 Bexley 008 Bexley
4 Bexley 011 Bexley
5 Bexley 010 Bexley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meloy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meloy

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Meloy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Meloy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Meloy is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Meloy 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

Meloy falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Meloy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Meloy

The surname MELOY originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the lands of Maloy or Meloy in Argyllshire, an area in the western Scottish Highlands. The name is thought to come from the Gaelic words "mol" meaning bare and "oidhe" meaning desert or wilderness, referring to the barren landscape of the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1506, where it is spelled "Meloy". Other early spellings include "Maloy", "Malloy", and "Mellay". The name is also found in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland from the 16th century, indicating its presence in official records of the time.

In the 17th century, the name MELOY is documented in the parish registers of Kilmallie, a historic parish in Lochaber, Scotland. This suggests that the name was well-established in the Highlands during this period.

Notable individuals with the surname MELOY include:

1. John Meloy (1730-1805), a Scottish-born soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Virginia. 2. Ewan Meloy (1761-1822), a Scottish-born merchant and trader who established a successful business in the Caribbean. 3. Margaret Meloy (1790-1868), a Scottish writer and poet known for her works on Highland life and culture. 4. James Meloy (1817-1892), a Scottish-born engineer who played a significant role in the construction of railways in North America. 5. William Meloy (1865-1935), a Scottish-born businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Glasgow.

The surname MELOY has a rich history rooted in the rugged landscape of the Scottish Highlands. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, and it has been documented in various historical records over the centuries. While the name may have evolved in its spelling, its connection to the lands of Maloy or Meloy in Argyllshire remains a defining aspect of its etymology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meloy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meloy 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. Kent leads with 24 Meloys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.16x.

County Total Index
Kent 24 6.16x
Essex 15 6.66x
Middlesex 15 1.31x
Cumberland 12 12.22x
Surrey 9 1.62x
Lanarkshire 8 2.17x
Lancashire 6 0.44x
Berkshire 5 5.84x
Yorkshire 5 0.44x
Clackmannanshire 4 42.46x
Perthshire 4 7.81x
Gloucestershire 3 1.34x
Lincolnshire 3 1.64x
Royal Navy 2 14.71x
Ayrshire 1 1.17x
Oxfordshire 1 1.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deptford St Paul in Kent leads with 11 Meloys recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.63x.

Place Total Index
Deptford St Paul 11 36.63x
Lambeth 9 9.05x
Blantyre 8 208.33x
Erith 8 208.33x
Islington London 6 5.43x
Workington 6 106.57x
Barnsley 5 42.88x
Cleator 5 122.25x
Parr 5 103.31x
Reading St Giles 5 59.52x
Alloa 4 87.53x
Perth Middle Church 4 207.25x
Wanstead 4 101.52x
West Ham 4 8.04x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 14.24x
Edmonton 3 32.64x
Great Grimsby 3 25.91x
Rainham 3 612.24x
Upminster 3 638.30x
Charlton 2 77.22x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 64.72x
Hammersmith London 2 7.11x
Royal Navy 2 17.21x
St Andrew Holborn 2 51.68x
Auckinleck 1 37.88x
Barking 1 15.17x
Caversham 1 70.92x
Chevening 1 238.10x
Elton 1 21.37x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 76.34x
St George In East 1 12.89x
Whitehaven 1 19.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ellen 4
Sarah 4
Ada 3
Anne 2
Bridget 2
Catherine 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Harriet 2
Margaret 2
Alice 1
Angelina 1
Annie 1
Chartoline 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
F.M. 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Selina 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Meloy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meloy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Meloy surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meloy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016. That gives Meloy a modern rank of #19,653.

What does the Meloy surname mean?

A surname of Scottish origin meaning "from the island of Mull".

What does the Meloy map show?

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