2000
#6,938
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,459
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.65
Rare Last name
Malek
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "king" or "one who rules."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,648 Americans carry the last name Malek. That puts it at #6,602 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,686 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malek 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 Malek with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 60,686
Census rank
#6,602
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,925 bearers of the surname Malek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6602nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malek, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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".
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malek
Among Census respondents with the surname Malek, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Malek 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 Malek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 4,096
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.3% · 411
- Two or more races3.4% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 158
- Black or African American1.8% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malek
Malek 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
#7,008
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,780
+321 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 70 places
2020
#6,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,925
+145 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Up 406 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,938 | 4,459 | 1.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,008 | 4,780 | 1.62 | +321 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 70 places |
| 2020 | #6,602 | 4,925 | 1.65 | +145 bearers (+3.0%) | Up 406 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 Malek 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 | #7,008 | #6,602 | 5.8% |
| Count | 4,780 | 4,925 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.62 | 1.65 | 1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malek bearers went from 4,780 to 4,925 (+3.0% change). The surname moved up 406 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,008 to #6,602.
FAQ
Malek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malek?
Name Census estimates that about 5,648 living Americans carry the surname Malek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,686 residents.
How common is Malek?
Malek ranks #6,602 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,925 people with the surname Malek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,648), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Malek.
Has Malek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malek went from 4,780 recorded bearers to 4,925. That is an increase of 145 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,008 to #6,602.
What does the Census say about the background of Malek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malek, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.3%) 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 Malek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (4,096 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.3%), 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 Malek (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 Malek mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "king" or "one who rules." 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 Malek (1.65 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 surname Malek?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.