2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Malhiot
A French surname derived from the Old French word "malhiot" meaning unlucky or unfortunate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Malhiot. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malhiot 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Malhiot in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malhiot, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malhiot
The surname Malhiot originated in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French words "mal" meaning "bad" or "evil," and "hit" or "hiet," meaning "odor" or "stench." This suggests that the name Malhiot might have been initially given as a nickname to someone associated with an unpleasant odor or smell.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malhiot can be found in the Cartulaire de Louviers, a collection of charters and documents from the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Louviers in Normandy, dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a person named Willelmus Malhiot, who was likely a landowner or tenant in the area.
During the Middle Ages, the name Malhiot appeared in various spellings, such as Malhiote, Malhuot, and Malhiaut, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include Jean Malhiot, a French painter who lived in the 16th century and was known for his religious works.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Malhiot family settled in the region of Burgundy, where they were involved in viticulture and winemaking. One of the most prominent members of this lineage was Claude Malhiot (1630-1698), a renowned vintner and winemaker whose wines were highly sought after by the nobility of the time.
Another notable figure with the surname Malhiot was Pierre Malhiot (1725-1801), a French botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant species in the Caribbean region. He was known for his extensive work cataloging and documenting the flora of the French West Indies.
During the 19th century, the Malhiot family produced several individuals who played important roles in the political and intellectual spheres of France. One such person was Émile Malhiot (1822-1895), a lawyer and politician who served as a member of the National Assembly and was actively involved in the republican movement.
While the surname Malhiot is not as common today as it was in previous centuries, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of French surnames, carrying with it a unique and intriguing history rooted in the medieval era of Normandy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malhiot
Among Census respondents with the surname Malhiot, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Malhiot 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 Malhiot surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malhiot
Malhiot 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,391 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,042 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 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 3,391 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,042 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 Malhiot 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 | #139,228 | #144,270 | -3.6% |
| Count | 120 | 117 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malhiot bearers went from 120 to 117 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,042 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #144,270.
FAQ
Malhiot surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malhiot?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Malhiot. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Malhiot?
Malhiot ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Malhiot. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Malhiot.
Has Malhiot become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malhiot went from 120 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Malhiot?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malhiot, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Malhiot in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malhiot appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Malhiot (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 Malhiot mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "malhiot" meaning unlucky or unfortunate. 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 Malhiot (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 Americans have the surname Malhiot?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.