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

Malek, 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 Malek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Malek in America

Malek is the 7008th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Malek surname appeared 4,780 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Malek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Malek 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 Malek

The surname Malek is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word 'malik' which means 'king' or 'sovereign'. The name first emerged in regions of the Middle East where Arabic was the dominant language, particularly in regions like modern-day Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malek can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts and chronicles. These sources mention individuals bearing this name who were often associated with positions of authority or nobility, reflecting the root meaning of the word 'malik'.

As the Arab world expanded through conquests and trade, the name Malek spread to various regions and cultures. In some instances, it may have been adopted or adapted by non-Arabic populations who came into contact with Arab rulers or merchants.

One notable historical figure with the surname Malek was Al-Malik al-Zahir Ghazi, a Sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty who ruled in parts of modern-day Syria and Lebanon in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Another prominent individual was Ibn Malik, a renowned Arabic grammarian born in Jaén, Spain in the 13th century, best known for his work on Arabic grammar titled "Al-Khulasa al-Alfiyya".

In the medieval period, the surname Malek can also be found in records from regions like Sicily and parts of southern Italy, where Arabic influence was significant due to the Norman conquest of these areas. For instance, there are references to individuals named Malek in Sicilian tax records from the 12th and 13th centuries.

As the name spread through trade and migration, it adopted various spellings and adaptations in different languages and cultures. For example, in the Ottoman Empire, the name was sometimes written as 'Melek' or 'Melekh'.

Other notable individuals with the surname Malek include Abbas Malek, an Iranian diplomat and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Iran in the mid-20th century, and Ramy Malek, an American actor of Egyptian descent known for his role in the TV series "Mr. Robot" and his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in the biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody".

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Malek

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

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

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

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