DeMello
A surname of Portuguese origin, typically meaning someone from the Mello family line or from a place called Mello.
The #8,512 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 79,820 Americans shares it.
Etymology
DeMello is a Portuguese surname built from the preposition de, meaning "of" or "from," plus Mello, a family name and place-name. In practice, it usually signaled descent from or association with the Mello/Melo lineage rather than describing a job or personal trait. The spelling with double l is a common Anglicized or older variant of the more standard Portuguese form Melo.
History
The name is best known in Portuguese-speaking communities, especially in Portugal and later in Brazil and other parts of the Lusophone diaspora. It likely spread as a hereditary family surname from medieval place-based naming customs. In the United States, it is found mainly among families of Portuguese or Lusophone immigrant background, including communities from Portugal, Madeira, the Azores, and former Portuguese colonies.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is a classic example of a Portuguese "de + place/family name" construction, which often preserves an old link to ancestry or origin even when the place itself is no longer familiar.