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

Malee, 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 Malee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Malee in America

Malee is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Malee surname appeared 125 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 Malee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Malee 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 Malee

The surname MALEE has its origins in India, particularly in the southern region. It can be traced back to the 16th century, derived from the Tamil word "malai," which means "hill" or "mountain." This suggests that the name was likely associated with people who lived in or near the hilly regions of the subcontinent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MALEE can be found in a collection of historical texts from the Vijayanagar Empire, which ruled parts of southern India from the 14th to the 17th century. In these texts, there are references to individuals with the name MALEE serving as administrators or officials in various capacities.

During the colonial era, the MALEE surname was documented in British records, particularly in regions such as Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Some notable individuals with this surname include Malee Alauddin (1870-1944), a prominent educator and social reformer from Tamil Nadu, and Malee Babu (1876-1958), a renowned poet and writer from Andhra Pradesh.

In the 20th century, the MALEE surname gained further recognition with individuals like Malee Bala Sankaran (1908-1983), an influential Tamil writer and activist, and Malee Mukherjee (1925-2002), a celebrated Bengali actress and dancer. Additionally, Malee Arjun (1938-2008) was a renowned classical musician and composer from Kerala.

It is worth noting that the MALEE surname has also been associated with various place names in southern India, such as Malee Hills, Malee Village, and Malee Taluk, among others. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the geographical features of the region.

Throughout history, the MALEE surname has been represented across various fields, including literature, arts, education, and social activism, reflecting the diverse contributions of individuals bearing this name to the cultural tapestry of India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Malee

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

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

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

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