2000
#8,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,570
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Malcom
A Scottish surname derived from the given name Máel Coluim, meaning "disciple of Saint Columba."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,051 Americans carry the last name Malcom. That puts it at #8,895 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,610 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malcom 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Malcom with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 84,610
Census rank
#8,895
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,533 bearers of the surname Malcom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8895th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malcom, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malcom
The surname MALCOM originates from Scotland, and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Maldóm", which means "disciple" or "follower". The name was originally "Malcolme" and was used as a personal name before becoming a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MALCOM can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists names of Scottish landowners and gentry who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Malcolme de Stragrif".
Another early reference to the surname MALCOM is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the 14th century, which mention a "Malcolm de Dryburgh" in 1328.
The MALCOM name has connections to various places in Scotland, such as the village of Malcom in Fife, which was likely named after an early bearer of the surname.
One notable bearer of the MALCOM surname was Sir John Malcom (c.1300-1362), a Scottish knight and landowner who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence under King Robert the Bruce.
Another prominent individual with the MALCOM surname was Sir Michael Malcom (c.1450-1505), a Scottish nobleman and Lord of Balbedie, who served as a diplomat and ambassador for King James IV.
In the 16th century, there was a notable family of MALCOMs in Perthshire, including David Malcom (c.1530-1598), who was a prominent landowner and Provost of Perth.
In the 17th century, John Malcom (1619-1674) was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a significant role in the religious and political turmoil of that era.
Another notable bearer of the MALCOM surname was Sir John Malcom (1769-1833), a British soldier, diplomat, and historian who served as Governor of Bombay and authored several works on the history and culture of India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malcom
Among Census respondents with the surname Malcom, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Malcom 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 Malcom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.9% · 2,540
- Black or African American21.0% · 742
- Two or more races3.4% · 121
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malcom
Malcom 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
#8,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,680
+110 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 394 places
2020
#8,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,533
-147 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,502 | 3,570 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,896 | 3,680 | 1.25 | +110 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 394 places |
| 2020 | #8,895 | 3,533 | 1.18 | -147 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 1 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 Malcom 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 | #8,896 | #8,895 | 0.0% |
| Count | 3,680 | 3,533 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.18 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malcom bearers went from 3,680 to 3,533 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,896 to #8,895.
FAQ
Malcom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malcom?
Name Census estimates that about 4,051 living Americans carry the surname Malcom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,610 residents.
How common is Malcom?
Malcom ranks #8,895 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,533 people with the surname Malcom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,051), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Malcom.
Has Malcom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malcom went from 3,680 recorded bearers to 3,533. That is a decrease of 147 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,896 to #8,895.
What does the Census say about the background of Malcom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malcom, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Malcom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.9% (2,540 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malcom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.9%), Black (21.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Malcom (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 Malcom mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the given name Máel Coluim, meaning "disciple of Saint Columba." 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 Malcom (1.18 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 Malcom?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Malcom on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.