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Mellor History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Mellor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The distinguished surname Mellor emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Mellor family originally lived in Milor in Cornwall. The surname Mellor belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Mellor family

The surname Mellor was first found in the parish of Milor in Cornwall. "The parish of Milor derives its name from Melor or St. Melor, to whom the church was dedicated at a very early period. At what exact time St. Melor flourished, is a point that has given rise to much debate. All Towever admit that such a person did exist, that he was a native of Cornwall, was high in dignity, had embraced the Christian faith, and was finally murdered with circumstances of peculiar barbarity. 411, in which chronology he is supported by the authority of Archbishop Usher. Capgrave observes, that “when in the beginning of the Christian faith, the apostolical doctrine was spread into all nations over the world : the gentiles of Britain were converted to the faith, and many believing in the Lord and practising the apostolical precepts, shone with various and miraculous virtues, of the number of which we confidently believe blessed Melor to have been one. For the blessed Melor was of a noble family in Britain, his father being Melian who possessed the dutchy of Cornwall.” An ancient life of this saint or martyr, quoted by Leland, says, that “Melor was the son of Melian king of Cornwall, by Haurilla the daughter of Rivold Earl of Devonshire." 1

Early History of the Mellor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mellor research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mellor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mellor Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Mellers, Mellors, Meller, Mellor, Melliar and others.

Early Notables of the Mellor family

More information is included under the topic Early Mellor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mellor Ranking

In the United States, the name Mellor is the 14,239^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Mellor is ranked the 540^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,047 people with that name. 3

Mellor migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Mellor were found:

Mellor Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Mellor, who landed in Maryland in 1664 4

Mellor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Levi Mellor, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 4
Edmund, George, Henry, John, Joseph, Thomas, and William Mellor, who all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860
Thomas Mellor, who landed in America in 1889 4
James Mellor, who landed in America in 1891 4

Mellor migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mellor Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Mellor, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Mr. Joseph Mellor who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. George Mellor, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. John Mellor, (b. 1809), aged 25, English cabinet maker who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years for highway robbery, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. William Mellor, (Mellon), (b. 1801), aged 33, English farm labourer who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 27 September 1834, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mellor migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Mellor Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Mellor, aged 28, a smith, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
Mary Mellor, aged 24, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
Mary Ellen Mellor, aged 11 months, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
Mr. John Mellor, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Inchinnan" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 27th May 1852 10
Mr. Samuel S. Mellor, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harwood" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th November 1858 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mellor (post 1700) +

William C. Mellor A.S.C. (1903-1963), American cinematographer
Kay Mellor OBE (1951-2022), née Daniel, an English actress, scriptwriter, and director, known for creating television shows Fat Friends (2000–05), as well as co creating CITV's British children's drama Children's Ward (1989–2000)
Neil Andrew Mellor (b. 1982), English professional footballer
Mr. Edwin Mellor, British sheriff, held the position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1908 to 1909
Mr. Richard Mellor, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1472 to 1473
Mr. John Mellor, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1483 to 1484
David Hugh Mellor FBA (1938-2020), British Professor of Philosophy and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, later Professor Emeritus, of Cambridge University
John Graham Mellor (1952-2002), best known by his stage name Joe Strummer, co-founder and lead vocalist of the British rock band The Clash, inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2003)
Joseph William Mellor CBE, FRS (1869-1938), New Zealand inorganic chemist
David Mellor CBE, FCSD, RDI (1930-2009), one of the best-known designers in Britain
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Mellor family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Herbert James Mellor, British Deck Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 11

HMS Repulse

Mr. Ernest Mellor (b. 1920), British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 12

HMS Royal Oak

Sidney Mellor (d. 1939), British Stoker 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 13

RMS Titanic

Mr. Arthur Mellor (d. 1912), aged 34, English Saloon Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 14

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emperor-alexander
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html