2010
#105,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Malaj
An Albanian surname derived from a region or town in Albania.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 338 Americans carry the last name Malaj. That puts it at #71,297 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,014,066 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malaj 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
338
1 in 1,014,066
Census rank
#71,297
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
295
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 295 bearers of the surname Malaj in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 71297th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malaj
The surname MALAJ is of Albanian origin and can be traced back to the region of Malësia e Madhe, a historical region located in the northern Albanian Alps. The name is believed to have stemmed from the Albanian word "mal," meaning mountain or hill, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname likely hailed from the mountainous areas of this region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MALAJ surname can be found in the records of the Venetian Republic, which administered parts of the Albanian territories during the 15th and 16th centuries. In these records, the name appears as "Malai" or "Malaj," indicating the potential variations in spelling that existed during that time period.
In the 18th century, the MALAJ name gained prominence in the region of Shkodra, a city in northern Albania that was once a significant center of cultural and intellectual activity. Several notable figures bearing this surname emerged from this area, including Zef Malaj (1847-1919), a renowned Albanian writer, educator, and patriot who played a crucial role in the Albanian National Awakening movement.
Another prominent figure with the MALAJ surname was Pal Malaj (1870-1945), an Albanian politician and diplomat who served as the first ambassador of Albania to the United States in the early 20th century. He was instrumental in establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries and advocating for Albanian independence.
During the 19th century, the MALAJ name was also found in various regions of the Ottoman Empire, as many Albanians migrated and settled in different parts of the empire. One notable example is Hasan Malaj (1836-1902), an Ottoman military officer and statesman who served as the Governor of Beirut and later as the Governor of Damascus.
In more recent history, the MALAJ surname has been associated with several notable Albanians, including Agim Malaj (1928-2021), a renowned Albanian writer and poet who authored numerous works that explored themes of national identity, resistance, and the human condition.
While the MALAJ surname has its roots in the mountainous regions of northern Albania, it has since spread across the country and beyond, carried by individuals and families who have contributed to various fields, from literature and politics to diplomacy and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malaj
Among Census respondents with the surname Malaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Malaj 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 Malaj surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 289
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 3
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malaj
Malaj appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#71,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 295
+126 bearers (+74.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 34,303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #105,600 | 169 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #71,297 | 295 | 0.10 | +126 bearers (+74.6%) | Up 34,303 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 Malaj 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 | #105,600 | #71,297 | 32.5% |
| Count | 169 | 295 | 74.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.10 | 64.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malaj bearers went from 169 to 295 (+74.6% change). The surname moved up 34,303 positions in the national ranking, going from #105,600 to #71,297.
FAQ
Malaj surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malaj?
Name Census estimates that about 338 living Americans carry the surname Malaj. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,014,066 residents.
How common is Malaj?
Malaj ranks #71,297 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 295 people with the surname Malaj. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (338), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Malaj.
Has Malaj become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malaj went from 169 recorded bearers to 295. That is an increase of 126 (+74.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #105,600 to #71,297.
What does the Census say about the background of Malaj?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%) and Black (0.3%). 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 Malaj in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (289 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malaj appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%), Black (0.3%). 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 Malaj (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 Malaj mean?
An Albanian surname derived from a region or town in Albania. 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 Malaj (0.10 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 have the last name Malaj?
Want to know how many people have the last name Malaj? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.