Melgar
A Spanish surname most likely referring to a place where mielgas grew abundantly.
The #3,897 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,906 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Melgar is traditionally explained from Spanish melgar, a word for a field or place where mielga grew abundantly. Mielga is a Spanish name for a fodder plant, so the sense is essentially “place of melga” or “field with melga.” As with many Spanish surnames, this could have started as a habitational name for someone from such a place.
History
The surname is found in Spain and later in Spanish-speaking communities overseas. The 19th-century sources provided treat it as a Spanish place-based surname rather than a nickname or occupation. It has remained in use in modern Spanish surname populations, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Spanish name lists, Melgar appears alongside many other surnames formed from landscape or settlement words, reflecting how often surnames grew from local geography.
From the historical record
“Melero. El que vende miel. Melgar. Campo abundante en mielgas. DE LOS APELLIDOS 95”
— Diccionario de los apellidos