2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Malack
A surname possibly derived from the Greek word meaning "soft" or "mild".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Malack. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malack 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Malack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malack, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malack
The surname Malack has its origins in Germany, traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "malen," meaning "to paint" or "to draw," suggesting a possible occupation associated with the name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malack can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, dating back to 1387, where a certain Hans Malack was listed as a resident. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the name Malack appeared in various chronicles and historical documents across German-speaking lands. Notable mentions include Johann Malack, a renowned artist from Augsburg, who lived between 1520 and 1588, known for his intricate woodcarvings and religious sculptures.
As the centuries passed, the Malack surname spread to different parts of Europe, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. In the 18th century, a branch of the Malack family settled in the Alsace region of France, where the name was recorded as Malacque.
The Malack name also found its way to other parts of the world through immigration. One example is Friedrich Malack, a German immigrant who arrived in the United States in the early 19th century and settled in Pennsylvania, where he worked as a blacksmith. His descendants can be traced through various historical records in the region.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the Malack surname was Anna Malack, a German-born poet and writer who lived from 1870 to 1944. Her works, which explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, were highly acclaimed during her lifetime and continue to be studied by literary scholars today.
In the realm of science, the name Malack is associated with Dr. Hans Malack, a renowned German physicist who made significant contributions to the field of particle physics in the early 20th century. His research papers and publications from the 1920s and 1930s are still referenced by modern-day physicists.
Throughout its long history, the Malack surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, craftsmen, writers, scientists, and more. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since spread across the globe, bearing witness to the diverse journeys and achievements of those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malack
Among Census respondents with the surname Malack, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Malack 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 Malack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malack
Malack 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+7 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,467 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,631 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 2,467 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 12,631 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 Malack 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 | #138,304 | #150,935 | -9.1% |
| Count | 121 | 108 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malack bearers went from 121 to 108 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 12,631 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #150,935.
FAQ
Malack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malack?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Malack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Malack?
Malack ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Malack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Malack.
Has Malack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malack went from 121 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Malack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malack, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Malack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%), Black (1.9%). 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 Malack (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 Malack mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Greek word meaning "soft" or "mild". 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 Malack (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 people are called Malack?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Malack on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.