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

Malia, 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 Malia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Malia in America

Malia is the 28100th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Malia surname appeared 852 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Malia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Malia 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 Malia

The surname "Malia" has its origins in the Middle Ages, tracing back to the medieval regions of northern Italy. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "malus," meaning "apple tree," or "malius," referring to an apple orchard or grove. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived near or worked with apple orchards.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Malia" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Benedictine monastery in Cava de' Tirreni, Campania, Italy. The name appears in a document dated around 1150, referring to a landowner named "Petrus de Malia."

In the 13th century, the name "Malia" is documented in the Liber Censuum, a papal record of properties and incomes from various regions. This record mentions a family with the surname "Malia" residing in the town of Montefiascone, in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, Italy.

As the surname spread throughout Italy, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Malia," "Mallia," and "Malea." These variations can be found in various historical records, including birth, marriage, and death registers from different regions of Italy.

One notable individual bearing the surname "Malia" was Niccolò Malia, a 14th-century Venetian merchant and diplomat. He served as a representative of the Republic of Venice in various negotiations with other Italian city-states and foreign powers.

Another historical figure with the surname "Malia" was Giovan Battista Malia, a 16th-century Italian painter and architect from Genoa. He is known for his frescoes and architectural works in churches and palaces throughout northern Italy.

In the 17th century, the name "Malia" appeared in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, which had jurisdiction over parts of southern Italy at the time. These records mention a family with the surname "Malia" from the town of Bari, in the region of Apulia.

During the 18th century, the surname "Malia" can be found in the records of the Kingdom of Naples, which included the regions of Campania, Calabria, and Apulia. One notable figure from this period was Antonio Malia, a lawyer and judge who served in the courts of Naples.

In the 19th century, the surname "Malia" gained prominence in the literary world with the Italian writer and poet Gian Battista Malia, born in 1825 in the town of Cosenza, Calabria. His works, which often explored themes of nature and rural life, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Malia

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

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

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

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