2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Malacarne
A surname derived from Italian, meaning "bad flesh" or "poor meat."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Malacarne. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malacarne surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Malacarne in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malacarne, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malacarne
The surname Malacarne has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, likely around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian words "mala" meaning "bad" and "carne" meaning "meat" or "flesh." This combination suggests a possible connection to an occupation or trade involving the handling or selling of low-quality meat.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the historic records of the city of Genoa, where a certain Giovanni Malacarne was mentioned as a butcher in the year 1389. This provides evidence that the name was already in use and potentially linked to the meat trade during that time.
Another notable historical figure bearing the surname Malacarne was Vincenzo Malacarne, an Italian anatomist and physician who lived from 1744 to 1816. He made significant contributions to the study of the human brain and published several influential works on the subject.
In the realm of literature, the name Malacarne appears in some of the writings of Italian author and poet Dante Alighieri, who lived from 1265 to 1321. While the specific context and references are unclear, this suggests that the surname had already gained recognition during Dante's lifetime.
The name Malacarne can also be traced back to various small towns and villages in the northern Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont, where it is believed to have originated. Some of these places include the towns of Malacarne near Cuneo and Malacarne near Sondrio, both of which likely derived their names from the surname itself.
Another notable individual with the surname Malacarne was Gian Domenico Malacarne, an Italian painter and engraver who lived from 1590 to 1653. He was known for his religious works and paintings depicting scenes from the Bible.
While the surname Malacarne is not among the most common in Italy, it has persisted throughout the centuries and can still be found in various parts of the country today. Its unique etymology and connection to the food trade make it a fascinating example of the rich history and diversity of Italian surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malacarne
Among Census respondents with the surname Malacarne, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Malacarne bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Malacarne surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 108
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malacarne
Malacarne appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
-12 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 15,884 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-20 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | -12 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 15,884 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 18,972 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Malacarne surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #128,249 | #147,221 | -14.8% |
| Count | 133 | 113 | -15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -24.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malacarne bearers went from 133 to 113 (-15.0% change). The surname moved down 18,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #147,221.
FAQ
Malacarne surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malacarne?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Malacarne. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Malacarne?
Malacarne ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Malacarne. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Malacarne.
Has Malacarne become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malacarne went from 133 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Malacarne?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malacarne, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Malacarne in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malacarne appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Black (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Malacarne (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Malacarne mean?
A surname derived from Italian, meaning "bad flesh" or "poor meat." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Malacarne (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Malacarne?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.