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

Malay, 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 Malay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Malay in America

Malay is the 33087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Malay surname appeared 692 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 Malay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Malay 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 Malay

The surname Malay is believed to have originated in the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia, which is now modern-day Malaysia, Singapore, and parts of Thailand and Indonesia. The name is derived from the Malay ethnic group, which is one of the largest ethnic groups in the region.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Malay date back to the 14th century, when the Malay Peninsula was under the control of various Malay sultanates. During this time, the name Malay was used to identify individuals who belonged to the Malay ethnic group or were associated with the region.

One of the earliest known references to the name Malay can be found in the Sejarah Melayu, also known as the Malay Annals, which is a literary work that chronicles the history of the Malay Sultanate of Malacca. This work, written in the 15th century, mentions various individuals with the surname Malay.

In the 16th century, the name Malay became more widespread as a result of the Portuguese and Dutch colonization of the Malay Peninsula. Many European explorers, traders, and colonists encountered the Malay people and began using the term "Malay" to refer to the inhabitants of the region.

One notable individual with the surname Malay was Tun Perak Malay, a prominent Malay chief who lived in the 16th century. He played a crucial role in the resistance against the Portuguese invasion of Malacca and is regarded as a national hero in Malaysia.

Another prominent figure with the surname Malay was Raja Ali Haji Malay (1809-1870), a Malay scholar, writer, and historian who made significant contributions to the preservation of Malay literature and culture. His works, such as the Tuhfat al-Nafis, are considered important historical and literary sources.

In the 19th century, the surname Malay became more widely used, particularly in the British colonies of Malaya and Singapore. During this period, individuals with the surname Malay held various positions in the colonial administration and played important roles in the development of these regions.

One such individual was Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham Malay (1850-1946), a British colonial administrator who served as the Resident-General of the Federated Malay States from 1896 to 1901. He was known for his efforts in promoting the economic and social development of the Malay states.

Another notable figure was Sultan Abu Bakar Malay (1833-1895), the Sultan of Johor from 1886 to 1895. He was instrumental in modernizing the state of Johor and establishing diplomatic relations with other countries.

While the surname Malay has a rich history and is closely tied to the Malay ethnic group and the Malay Peninsula, it is important to note that the name has also been adopted by individuals from other ethnic backgrounds who have lived in or been associated with the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Malay

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

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 Malay 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 Malay 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 Malay was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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