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Melville Family History

Melville Surname Meaning

Scottish (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of the various places in Normandy called Malleville from Latin mala ‘bad’ + ville ‘settlement’.

Irish (mainly Ulster): English surname adopted by bearers of Gaelic Ó Maoilmhichíl ‘descendant of Maoilmhichil’ a personal name meaning ‘devotee of (Saint) Michael’.

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


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Where is the Melville family from?

You can see how Melville families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Melville family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Melville families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 227 Melville families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Melville's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Melville families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Melville 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 Melville ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Melville. 15% of Melville men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Melville women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Melville were Carpenter joiner and Housewife.

View Census Data for Melville | 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 Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    15%
  • Retired
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Carpenter joiner
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Melville family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 92,000 census records available for the last name Melville. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Melville census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Melville

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Melville. 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 Melville immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Melville. For the veterans among your Melville ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Melville military records

You've only scratched the surface of Melville family history

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What is the average Melville lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Melville life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Melville in 1942 was 58, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Melville

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Melville 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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