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Melis Family History

Melis Surname Meaning

Italian (Sardinia): habitational name from a place so named in Sardinia. German: variant of Melius. Dutch: variant of Millis 2 and Czech and Slovak (Meliš); Hungarian: from a short form of the personal name Melichar ‘Melchior’. Compare Mellish.

Greek: from the personal name Melis, a pet form of Meletios or Melitōn, names of various early Christian martyrs and saints derived from either meli ‘honey’ or meletan ‘care for study’. Compare Mellis.

American shortened form of a Greek surname ending in -melis, e.g. Papathemelis ‘Themelios the priest’.

Scottish: variant of Mellis.

Lithuanian (Mėlis): nickname from mėlis ‘blue’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Melis family from?

You can see how Melis families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Melis family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Melis families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 9 Melis families living in Lancashire. This was about 26% of all the recorded Melis's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Melis families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Melis surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Melis ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Melis. 56% of Melis women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Melis | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    56%
  • Domestic Duties
    23%
  • Shop Assistant (fruit)
    23%

What Melis family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Melis. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Melis census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Melis

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Melis. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Melis immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 431 military records available for the last name Melis. For the veterans among your Melis ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Melis military records

You've only scratched the surface of Melis family history

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What is the average Melis lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Melis life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Melis in 1948 was 31, and 88 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Melis

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Melis ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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