2000
#15,738
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,703
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Uncommon Last name
Male
An English surname likely derived from the Old French "masle" meaning male or masculine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,480 Americans carry the last name Male. That puts it at #2,611 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,142 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Male 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 Male with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,142
Census rank
#2,611
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,499 bearers of the surname Male in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2611th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Male, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.1%) and Black (17.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Male
The surname Male has its origins in the medieval period, stemming from the Old French word "masle" or "malle," which means male or masculine. This name likely originated in northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany, where the Old French language was prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Male can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical record mentions individuals with the surname Male residing in various parts of England, suggesting that the name had already spread across the English Channel by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Male was often associated with occupations or trades that were traditionally considered masculine or male-dominated. It could have been used to distinguish men working in specific professions or to indicate the male heir in a family lineage.
In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname Male was Robert Male, a prominent merchant and landowner from Essex, England. He is mentioned in several historical records from the time, indicating the surname's established presence in the region.
Another early example is William Male, born around 1450 in Somersetshire, England. He was a respected landowner and served as a member of Parliament for the county during the reign of Edward IV.
In the 16th century, the surname Male appeared in various parts of Europe, including France and Germany. One notable individual was Hans Male, a German artist and engraver born in Nuremberg in 1537. His intricate engravings and woodcuts were highly regarded during the Renaissance period.
During the 17th century, the name Male was found in various parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland. One notable figure was John Male, born in 1643 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a renowned scholar and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1708 to 1714.
In the 18th century, the surname Male continued to be present in various regions of Europe and the Americas. One notable individual was Benjamin Male, born in 1732 in Massachusetts. He was a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War and served as a captain in the Continental Army.
Throughout history, the surname Male has been found in various spellings, including Maile, Mayle, and Maill, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, tracing back to the Old French "masle" and its association with masculinity and traditionally male occupations or roles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Male
Among Census respondents with the surname Male, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.1%) and Black (17.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Male 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 Male surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.5% · 6,815
- Hispanic or Latino24.1% · 3,247
- Black or African American17.3% · 2,340
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.3% · 722
- Two or more races2.1% · 285
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 90
Timeline
Historical Census data for Male
Male 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
#16,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,773
+70 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 527 places
2020
#2,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,499
+11,726 bearers (+661.4%)
Per 100,000 4.52
Rank movement Up 13,654 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,738 | 1,703 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,265 | 1,773 | 0.60 | +70 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 527 places |
| 2020 | #2,611 | 13,499 | 4.52 | +11,726 bearers (+661.4%) | Up 13,654 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 Male 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 | #16,265 | #2,611 | 83.9% |
| Count | 1,773 | 13,499 | 661.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 4.52 | 652.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Male bearers went from 1,773 to 13,499 (+661.4% change). The surname moved up 13,654 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,265 to #2,611.
FAQ
Male surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Male?
Name Census estimates that about 15,480 living Americans carry the surname Male. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,142 residents.
How common is Male?
Male ranks #2,611 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,499 people with the surname Male. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,480), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Male.
Has Male become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Male went from 1,773 recorded bearers to 13,499. That is an increase of 11,726 (+661.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,265 to #2,611.
What does the Census say about the background of Male?
Among Census respondents with the surname Male, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.1%) and Black (17.3%). 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 Male in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.5% (6,815 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Male appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.5%), Hispanic (24.1%), Black (17.3%). 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 Male (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 Male mean?
An English surname likely derived from the Old French "masle" meaning male or masculine. 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 Male (4.52 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 have the last name Male?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Male at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.