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

Malit, 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 Malit surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Malit in America

Malit is the 67747th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Malit surname appeared 291 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 Malit.

We can also compare 2010 data for Malit 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 Malit

The surname MALIT is believed to have originated in Croatia, dating back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Croatian word "mali," meaning "small" or "little," and likely referred to a person of short stature or a younger child. The name was particularly prevalent in the coastal regions of Dalmatia and Istria.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MALIT can be found in the 1387 census records of the city of Split, where a certain Ivan Malit is mentioned as a resident. Another notable early reference is in the 1492 land registry of the town of Pula, which lists a Mihovil Malit as a landowner.

In the 16th century, a branch of the MALIT family migrated to the Venetian-controlled island of Cres, where they established themselves as successful merchants and traders. A prominent figure from this period was Antun Malit (1532-1603), a wealthy merchant and ship owner who played a crucial role in the island's maritime trade.

The 17th century saw the rise of the MALIT family in the city of Dubrovnik, where they were actively involved in the thriving maritime industry. Nikola Malit (1621-1687) was a renowned sea captain and explorer who commanded several voyages to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

During the 18th century, the MALIT surname gained prominence in the field of literature and academia. Frane Malit (1738-1802) was a respected scholar and author, best known for his seminal work on the history and culture of Dalmatia.

As the name spread across Croatia and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Malić, Mallith, and Malich. Notable individuals with these variations include the 19th-century Croatian painter Vlaho Malić (1819-1890) and the 20th-century Serbian writer and journalist Živko Malich (1908-1996).

Throughout its history, the MALIT surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of the Croatian people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Malit

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

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

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

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