2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Malendez
Spanish surname meaning "son of the unfortunate one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Malendez. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malendez 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.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Malendez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malendez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malendez
The surname "MALENDEZ" is believed to have originated from the Spanish language, tracing its roots back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the combination of the Spanish words "mal" (meaning "bad" or "evil") and "ende" (meaning "end" or "conclusion"), potentially referring to an undesirable or unfavorable outcome.
One of the earliest known references to the name "MALENDEZ" can be found in the archives of the Kingdom of Aragon, dated around the 13th century. It appears to have been initially concentrated in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia, indicating a possible connection to the Catalan or Valencian cultures.
In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Juan Malendez (c. 1420-1489) was recorded as a Spanish military commander who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors. His exploits were chronicled in various historical accounts, further cementing the name in the annals of Spanish history.
During the 16th century, a notable figure named Rodrigo Malendez (c. 1525-1595) gained recognition as a skilled architect and engineer. He was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of several notable buildings and fortifications in Spain, including the Alcázar of Toledo and the Castillo de San Marcos in Florida.
The name "MALENDEZ" also made its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonization era. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of Pedro Malendez (c. 1540-1612), a Spanish naval officer and explorer who established the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States, at St. Augustine, Florida.
Another notable figure bearing the surname "MALENDEZ" was Miguel Malendez (c. 1680-1745), a renowned Spanish playwright and poet who gained recognition for his works during the Baroque period. His plays and poems were widely performed and published, leaving a lasting impact on Spanish literature.
While the name "MALENDEZ" may have evolved and taken on various spellings over the centuries, its historical roots can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula, where it emerged as a distinctive Spanish surname with a rich cultural and linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malendez
Among Census respondents with the surname Malendez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Malendez 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 Malendez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.4% · 90
- White4.9% · 5
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malendez
Malendez appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+3 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +3 bearers (+3.0%) | Up 6,793 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 Malendez 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 | #160,975 | #154,182 | 4.2% |
| Count | 100 | 103 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malendez bearers went from 100 to 103 (+3.0% change). The surname moved up 6,793 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #154,182.
FAQ
Malendez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malendez?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Malendez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Malendez?
Malendez ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Malendez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Malendez.
Has Malendez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malendez went from 100 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 3 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Malendez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malendez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Black (2.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Malendez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malendez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.4%), White (4.9%), Black (2.9%). 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 Malendez (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 Malendez mean?
Spanish surname meaning "son of the unfortunate one". 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 Malendez (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Malendez?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.