The area was known to the Native Americans as "Sunsquams". In the 17th century it was known as Samuel Ketcham's Valley, named for a local resident. Afterwards it was known as Sweet Hollow. This name was replaced by Melville in school records in 1854. There is some debate as to the origin of the Melville name. It may be derived from the Latin for honey (the area had an abundance of honey bees, and this may have also been the origin of the previous Sweet Hollow name). The author Herman Melville was being published around this time.