The Melville surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,355 people carried this name — #7,623 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 67,600 people counted. That is up 6% from 4,119 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Melville surname

A Scottish habitational surname from Old French of Norman origin, from Malleville in Normandy.

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

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 6 births for the Melville name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim and Down.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 5
Leinster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 33 people named Melville live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in San Juan.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

San Juan 20
Buenos Aires Province 13

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 23 people named Melville.

Most of them — 14 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 5 départements, most often Pas-de-Calais.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 14
Pas-de-Calais 3
Paris 3
Bouches-du-Rhône 1
Hauts-de-Seine 1
French Guiana 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Scotland’s registers today

Melville was recorded 56 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 461st most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 113. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Melville in American newspapers,
1901–1904.

Newspaper page from The Midland Journal carrying the name Melville
The Midland Journal 1901-08-30
Newspaper page from The Star carrying the name Melville
The Star 1904-02-03
Newspaper page from Manchester Democrat carrying the name Melville
Manchester Democrat 1901-10-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,174 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Melville in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2010s.

109,653 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Melville. The most, 23,767, date from the 1880s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 45,113
Victoria 29,131
South Australia 12,587
Queensland 10,211
Western Australia 7,256
Tasmania 4,747
ACT (Canberra) 388
Northern Territory 64

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

Who carried it

People named Melville,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Ephraim Melville d. 1653 · Christian minister
  • John Melville d. 1638 · Christian minister
  • John Melville d. 1548
  • Robert Melville, 2nd Lord Melville of Monymaill d. 1635
  • John Melville, 1st of Raith d. 1427
  • John Melville, 3rd Lord Melville of Monymaill d. 1643

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Melville,
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 States1,070 records

1,070 records of the Melville name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 371
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 222
  • Other U.S. records 477
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Homer W. Melville

    Born 1919 in Indiana. Enlisted 1941 at Detroit, Michigan; auto mechanic. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Carmichael Cemetery, Bloomfield, Indiana.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1852 aboard the Esmeralda from Liverpool, aged 23; laborer. From Ireland; bound for Pennsylvania.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Timothy James Melville

    Born 1949; from Manhattan Beach, California. U.S. Marine Corps, machinegunner; killed in action 1968 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,070 records for Melville in the United States.

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

Australia1,180 records

1,180 records of the Melville name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 663
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 173
  • Other Australian records 344
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record James Melville

    Died 1928 in Derby, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1929.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Alma May Melville

    Born 1875 in Campbell Town, Tasmania. Married 1898 in Ulverstone, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. 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 Ninan Melville

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Fairlie, arriving 1834; ticket of leave 1838. Native of Aberdeen.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 1,180 records for Melville in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada87 records

87 records of the Melville name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 30
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 21
  • Other Canadian records 36
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Thelma Krisvilin Melville

    Buried in 1995 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 79.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edward Melville

    Died 1941; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Margaret Amelia Melville

    Died 1939 in Bridgetown, Annapolis, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 87 records for Melville in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom57 records

57 records of the Melville name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 22
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 19
  • Other British records 16
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record John Jeans Melville

    Born 1887 at Bishopmill; stores manager. Died 1918. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Melville

    Died 1901, aged 61; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Melville

    Buried in 1853 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 67.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 57 records for Melville in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. 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); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand31 records

31 records of the Melville name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 21
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 6
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Adelaide Jane Melville

    Died 1971, aged 80; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Melville

    Died 1902, aged 48; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alexander Melville

    Buried in 1935 at Tararu Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 62.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 31 records for Melville in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel 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).

Netherlands8 records

8 records of the Melville name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Cornelis Melville

    Died 1843 in Aan boord, aged 54.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maria Ida Albertina Melville

    Married in 1814 in Den Haag.

    Open Archives, Nationaal Archief Rijksarchief Zuid-Holland (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Stanley Eddy Melville

    Married in 1923 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Melville in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France7 records

7 records of the Melville 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 Raymond Melville

    Born 1930 in Madagascar; died 1993 in Madagascar.

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

    Born 1903 in Great Britain; died 1996 in Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jean Pierre Claude Melville

    Born 1917 in Paris; died 1973 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Melville in France.

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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Melville.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Melville 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 Melville volume
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