Find out how popular the last name Málaga is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Málaga.

Málaga, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Málaga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Málaga in America

Málaga is the 36204th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Málaga surname appeared 619 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Málaga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Málaga to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Málaga

The surname Malaga is of Spanish origin, derived from the city of Malaga in Andalusia, Spain. It likely originated as a locative surname, indicating that the bearer or their ancestor was from that particular city or region.

The city of Malaga has a rich history dating back to the 8th century BC when it was founded by the Phoenicians under the name Malaka. Over the centuries, it has been ruled by various civilizations, including the Romans, Visigoths, and Moors, each contributing to the cultural and linguistic influences that shaped the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Malaga can be found in the Libro de Repartimiento de Malaga, a 13th-century document that recorded the distribution of land and property in the city after its reconquest by the Christian forces in 1487. This document mentions individuals with the surname Malaga, indicating their connection to the city.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Malaga was Pedro de Malaga, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He later settled in the Caribbean and participated in the conquest of Puerto Rico.

Another prominent individual with the surname Malaga was Francisco de Malaga, a 16th-century Spanish painter known for his religious works. He was born in Malaga around 1520 and is believed to have studied under the renowned artist Pedro Machuca.

During the 17th century, Juan de Malaga was a Spanish playwright and poet who wrote several comedies and plays. His work contributed to the Golden Age of Spanish literature and theater.

In the 19th century, Antonio Malaga y Sotomayor was a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1854 to 1858. He played a significant role in the island's administration during his tenure.

The surname Malaga has also been associated with various place names and localities within Spain. For example, the town of Malaga de Fresno in the province of Guadalajara is believed to have been named after settlers from the city of Malaga who established the settlement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Málaga

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Málaga.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Málaga was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Málaga has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Málaga was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Málaga, please contact us.

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