2000
#7,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,178
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Malave
A Spanish surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Latin word "malva" meaning "mallow" or "wicked."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,329 Americans carry the last name Malave. That puts it at #6,004 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,156 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malave 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
6.3K
1 in 54,156
Census rank
#6,004
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,519 bearers of the surname Malave in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6004th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malave, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malave
The surname Malave has its origins in Spain, specifically from the region of Galicia in the northwest part of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the 8th or 9th century, around the time of the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a medieval document from the 11th century, which mentions a person named Gonzalo Malave, who was a nobleman and landowner in the region of Pontevedra, Galicia. The name is thought to have derived from the Galician word "malava," which means "bad path" or "difficult road," suggesting that the original bearer of the name may have lived near a treacherous path or route.
During the Middle Ages, the Malave family played a significant role in the region, with several members holding important positions in the local government and military. One notable figure was Pedro Malave, who was a prominent knight and military commander during the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms fought to reclaim territories occupied by the Moors.
As the Malave family expanded and dispersed throughout Spain, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Malabe, Malavi, and Malavé. In the 16th century, there are records of a Spanish explorer named Juan Malave, who was part of the expeditions to the Americas and is believed to have been one of the first Spaniards to set foot in what is now Puerto Rico.
Another notable individual with the Malave surname was Miguel Malave y Matos, a Spanish playwright and poet who lived in the 17th century. He was renowned for his comedic plays and satires, which often critiqued the societal norms and political climate of his time.
In the 19th century, José Malave y García was a prominent Venezuelan lawyer, politician, and writer. He played a significant role in the country's independence movement and was a staunch advocate for democratic principles and civil liberties.
Throughout history, the Malave surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, military leaders, and politicians. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Galicia, Spain, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the diverse and rich cultural tapestry of the Spanish diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malave
Among Census respondents with the surname Malave, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Malave 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 Malave surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.2% · 4,977
- White7.1% · 391
- Black or African American1.7% · 95
- Two or more races0.5% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malave
Malave 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
#6,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,278
+1,100 bearers (+26.3%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Up 910 places
2020
#6,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,519
+241 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Up 430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,344 | 4,178 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,434 | 5,278 | 1.79 | +1,100 bearers (+26.3%) | Up 910 places |
| 2020 | #6,004 | 5,519 | 1.85 | +241 bearers (+4.6%) | Up 430 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 Malave 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 | #6,434 | #6,004 | 6.7% |
| Count | 5,278 | 5,519 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.79 | 1.85 | 3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malave bearers went from 5,278 to 5,519 (+4.6% change). The surname moved up 430 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,434 to #6,004.
FAQ
Malave surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malave?
Name Census estimates that about 6,329 living Americans carry the surname Malave. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,156 residents.
How common is Malave?
Malave ranks #6,004 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,519 people with the surname Malave. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,329), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Malave.
Has Malave become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malave went from 5,278 recorded bearers to 5,519. That is an increase of 241 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,434 to #6,004.
What does the Census say about the background of Malave?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malave, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.2%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (1.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Malave in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (4,977 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malave appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.2%), White (7.1%), Black (1.7%). 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 Malave (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 Malave mean?
A Spanish surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Latin word "malva" meaning "mallow" or "wicked." 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 Malave (1.85 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 share the surname Malave?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.