Frequency: (125)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
Spanish and Portuguese: probably a nickname from melena, a term denoting a piece of leather placed on the horns of an ox so that the yoke would not harm them, possibly applied to someone in charge of an ox as a draft animal. By extension, melena came to mean ‘mane’ and ‘long hair’, probably applied to someone with long or untidy hair.
GIVEN NAMES: Spanish 31%. Jose (3), Efrain (2), Adan, Alvaro, Ana, Angel, Angelina, Aurelio, Blanca, Caridad, Carolina, Consuelo.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
Dictionary of American Family Names. Copyright © 2006 Patrick Hanks. All rights reserved.
