The Melton surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 50,069 people carried this name — #688 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,890 people counted. That is up 3% from 48,594 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Melton surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Melton» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Melton’.

An early record he cites: John de Melton, Norfolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 527 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

45 Melton families were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 228 people lived in those households, 5.1 to a family on average. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 21
Virginia 13
South Carolina 8
Maryland 3

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 253 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Melton in American newspapers,
1896–1905.

Newspaper page from The Camden Chronicle carrying the name Melton
The Camden Chronicle 1905-02-17
Newspaper page from The Camden Chronicle carrying the name Melton
The Camden Chronicle 1905-02-10
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Herald carrying the name Melton
The Salt Lake Herald 1896-09-12

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 198,606 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Melton in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

16,988 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Melton. The most, 4,493, date from the 1910s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 4,396
New South Wales 3,500
Queensland 3,278
South Australia 2,864
Tasmania 1,807
Western Australia 1,110
ACT (Canberra) 17
Northern Territory 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Melton.

Who carried it

People named Melton,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Melton
    William Melton 1275–1340 · Catholic priest
  • William Melton d. 1528
  • Margaret Melton d. 1703
  • Sir John Melton d. 1510
  • Elizabeth Melton d. 1662
  • Janice Melton d. 2005 · photographer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Melton,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,344 records

2,344 records of the Melton name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,562
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 592
  • Other U.S. records 190
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Michael Dennis Melton

    Born 1948; from Ft Worth, Texas. U.S. Army, indirect fire infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. Buried at Dallas - Fort Worth National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Rosco A. Melton

    Born 1912 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1943 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; farmer from Greene County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1996, buried at Pine Grove Cemetery, Greeneville, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Alessandro Melton

    Arrived at New York in 1906 aboard the Il Piemonte from Genoa, Naples and Palermo, aged 29; peasant. From Terni, Italy; bound for Trenton.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,344 records for Melton in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia108 records

108 records of the Melton name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 40
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 28
  • Other Australian records 40
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Richard Melton

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Mangles, arriving 1824.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Abraham Melton

    Arrived in Queensland in 1881 aboard the Chyebassa, aged 26.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Bernard Charles Melton

    Retired accountant of Cheltenham, Victoria; died 1987.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 108 records for Melton in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada12 records

12 records of the Melton name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 5
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 4
  • Other Canadian records 3
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Melton

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Michael Timothy Melton

    Buried in 1976 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 19.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Lloyd Allison Melton

    Died 1972 in Parrsboro, Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 12 records for Melton in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom8 records

8 records of the Melton name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Melton

    Corporal, Hampshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. J. Melton

    Lincolnshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. G. Melton

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Melton in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France2 records

2 records of the Melton name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie-Antoinette Germaine Melton

    Born 1906 in Montaigu-le-Blin (Allier); died 1985 in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Alice Raymonde Melton

    Born 1914 in Saint-Fiel; died 1988 in Guéret (Creuse).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Melton name in the Netherlands Dutch church registers before 1811
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Thomas Melton

    Married in 1641 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Melton

    Buried in 1671 in Bergen op Zoom.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Melton name in New Zealand Marlborough District cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Melton

    Died 1915, aged 33; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Melton.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Melton is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Melton volume
Scroll to Top