Find out how popular the last name Malden is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Malden.
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Malden in England.
Malden, 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 Malden surname is from the 2010 census data.
Malden is the 76029th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Malden surname appeared 253 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 Malden.
We can also compare 2010 data for Malden 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 76029 | 59147 | 24.98% |
Count | 253 | 320 | -23.39% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.12 | -28.57% |
The surname Malden has its origins in England, tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English words "mæl" meaning "cross" and "dun" meaning "hill." The name likely referred to a person who lived near a hill with a cross or landmark on it.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Maldene." This suggests that the name was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name was commonly spelled "Maldun" or "Maldone." Over time, variations such as "Malden" and "Maldon" emerged in different regions of England.
Notable individuals with the surname Malden include Sir Thomas Malden (c. 1350-1428), a Member of Parliament for Essex during the reign of King Henry IV. Another was Sir William Malden (1525-1587), a prominent landowner and sheriff of Essex during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, John Malden (1593-1659) was an English clergyman and academic who served as President of St John's College, Oxford. Around the same time, Robert Malden (1625-1694) was a lawyer and author from Kent, known for his legal treatises.
Fast forward to the 19th century, Henry Malden (1800-1876) was an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on the history and topography of Surrey. He served as a vicar in the village of Malden, which likely took its name from the same Old English roots as the surname.
Throughout its history, the surname Malden has been associated with various place names across England, such as Malden in Essex, Malden in Surrey, and Maldon in Essex, reflecting the geographical origins and spread of families bearing this name.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Malden.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Malden was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 43.08% | 109 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 51.38% | 130 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 2.37% | 6 |
Hispanic Origin | 2.77% | 7 |
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 Malden has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 43.08% | 49.69% | -14.25% |
Black | 51.38% | 45.00% | 13.24% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 2.37% | 2.81% | -16.99% |
Hispanic | 2.77% | 2.50% | 10.25% |
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 Malden was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/malden-surname-popularity/">Malden last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Malden last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 25, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/malden-surname-popularity/.
"Malden last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/malden-surname-popularity/. Accessed 25 April, 2025
Malden last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/malden-surname-popularity/.
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