2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Malbreaux
Of French origin meaning "bad brook" or "unfortunate stream".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Malbreaux. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malbreaux 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Malbreaux in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malbreaux, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and White (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malbreaux
The surname MALBREAUX has its origins in France, tracing back to the early Middle Ages around the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from a French place name, possibly a village or town in the northern regions of the country. The name may have evolved from an older spelling such as "Malbrou" or "Malbreux," with the addition of the French suffix "-aux" indicating a connection to a specific location.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the MALBREAUX name can be found in a medieval document from the year 1237, which lists a certain "Guilleaume de Malbreaux" as a landowner in the region of Picardy. This suggests that the name was already well-established by that time and likely had its roots even further back in history.
During the 13th century, the MALBREAUX name appears to have spread across various parts of northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. This was a period of significant migration and population movements, which may have contributed to the dispersal of the name.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the MALBREAUX surname was Jean de Malbreaux, a French knight who fought alongside Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1395 and played a crucial role in several battles against the English forces, including the famous Siege of Orléans in 1429.
Another historically significant individual with the MALBREAUX name was Marie de Malbreaux, a 16th-century noblewoman and courtier at the court of King Henry II of France. She was born in 1532 and is known for her influential role in the cultural and artistic circles of the French Renaissance.
In the 17th century, the MALBREAUX name gained prominence in the field of literature with the writer and playwright Pierre de Malbreaux (1615-1678). His works, including several comedies and tragedies, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and contributed to the development of French theater.
Moving into the 18th century, a notable figure was Jacques de Malbreaux (1725-1798), a French military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He fought alongside the Continental Army and played a significant role in several key battles, including the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.
The 19th century saw the birth of Émile de Malbreaux (1841-1903), a renowned French historian and archaeologist. He made significant contributions to the study of ancient Roman and Gallo-Roman civilizations through his extensive research and excavations across France.
While the MALBREAUX name has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and other European countries, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries. However, its historical origins and connections to various regions of France remain an integral part of its rich heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malbreaux
Among Census respondents with the surname Malbreaux, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and White (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Malbreaux 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 Malbreaux surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American88.5% · 92
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
- White2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malbreaux
Malbreaux 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
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 2,454 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 Malbreaux 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 | #156,044 | #153,590 | 1.6% |
| Count | 104 | 104 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malbreaux bearers went from 104 to 104 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 2,454 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #153,590.
FAQ
Malbreaux surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malbreaux?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Malbreaux. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Malbreaux?
Malbreaux ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Malbreaux. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Malbreaux.
Has Malbreaux become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malbreaux went from 104 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Malbreaux?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malbreaux, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and White (2.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Malbreaux in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malbreaux appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (88.5%), Two or More Races (6.7%), White (2.9%). 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 Malbreaux (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 Malbreaux mean?
Of French origin meaning "bad brook" or "unfortunate stream". 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 Malbreaux (0.03 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 common is the surname Malbreaux?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Malbreaux at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.