2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Malfara
A surname derived from the Italian words "mal" meaning "bad" and "fara" meaning "to do".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Malfara. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malfara 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Malfara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malfara, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malfara
The surname Malfara originated in Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "malfara," which means "bad soil" or "infertile land." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to individuals who resided in or near areas with poor agricultural conditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Malfara surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Normanno, a collection of medieval documents from Southern Italy, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Malfara," "Malfarà," and "Malfarano," indicating regional variations.
The Malfara name has also been associated with certain place names in Italy. For example, there is a town called Malfara in the province of Reggio Calabria, located in the southern region of Calabria. It is possible that the surname originated from this location or a similar place name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Malfara surname. One such figure was Girolamo Malfara (1527-1599), an Italian philosopher and humanist from Naples. He was renowned for his works on logic and philosophy, and his teachings influenced many scholars of his time.
Another prominent bearer of the Malfara name was Francesco Malfara (1670-1741), an Italian painter and architect from Palermo, Sicily. He is best known for his contributions to the Baroque architectural style, particularly in the design of churches and palaces in Sicily.
In the 18th century, Giuseppe Malfara (1725-1807) was a notable Italian composer and violinist from Naples. He composed several operas and instrumental works, and his contributions to the Neapolitan school of music were significant.
During the 19th century, Vincenzo Malfara (1810-1885) was a Italian politician and lawyer from Calabria. He served as a member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy and was actively involved in the Risorgimento movement, which aimed to unify the various states of the Italian peninsula.
Another notable figure with the Malfara surname was Domenico Malfara (1882-1963), an Italian painter and sculptor from Sicily. He is renowned for his works depicting scenes from Sicilian folklore and rural life, capturing the essence of the island's culture and traditions.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the Malfara surname who have left their mark on various fields throughout history, highlighting the rich heritage and significance of this Italian surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malfara
Among Census respondents with the surname Malfara, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Malfara 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 Malfara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 108
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malfara
Malfara 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+8 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,490 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,878 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 1,490 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 12,878 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 Malfara 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 | #137,327 | #150,205 | -9.4% |
| Count | 122 | 109 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malfara bearers went from 122 to 109 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 12,878 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #150,205.
FAQ
Malfara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malfara?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Malfara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Malfara?
Malfara ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Malfara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Malfara.
Has Malfara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malfara went from 122 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Malfara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malfara, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Malfara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malfara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Malfara (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 Malfara mean?
A surname derived from the Italian words "mal" meaning "bad" and "fara" meaning "to do". 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 Malfara (0.04 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 Malfara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.