The name is thought to come from "meolc", the Old English word for milk, and "ham", a village. On John Speed's map of Wiltshire (1611), the name is spelt both Melksham (for the hundred) and Melksham (for the town itself). There are nine schools in Melksham. Melksham also has a very popular football and rugby team that play competitive matches in a small league. The population of Melksham in 2019 is 19,357. In Melksham there is a park called King George, it has a tennis court and a football court all together in one. It has a massive field with lots of apertures and swings. 