Malk last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Malk

An East Indian surname derived from the Persian word "malik" meaning king or ruler.

Malk, 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 Malk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Malk in America

Malk is the 127494th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Malk surname appeared 134 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 Malk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Malk 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank12749410217322.05%
Count134163-19.53%
Proportion per 100k0.050.06-18.18%

The history of the last name Malk

The surname MALK is of German origin, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from a Germanic word meaning "milk" or "milky". This could suggest that the name was initially associated with individuals involved in dairy farming or milk production.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MALK can be found in the municipal records of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Malk was mentioned as a resident in the year 1459. The name also appeared in the tax records of the town of Augsburg in 1487, with an entry for a Jakob Malk.

During the 16th century, the surname MALK began to spread across other parts of Germany. In 1524, a document from the city of Leipzig mentioned a merchant named Christoph Malk, who was involved in the trade of textiles. Similarly, in 1561, a Johannes Malk was recorded as a member of the guild of bakers in the town of Freiburg.

As the centuries passed, the surname MALK continued to be found in various regions of Germany. One notable bearer of the name was Johann Friedrich Malk, a Lutheran theologian and author who lived from 1743 to 1809. His works included several treatises on religious topics and a German translation of the Bible.

Another individual of historical significance was Karl Malk, a German artist and engraver who was born in 1795 and died in 1861. He is known for his intricate etchings and engravings, many of which depicted landscapes and architectural scenes from his travels across Europe.

In the 19th century, the MALK surname also appeared in the records of German immigrants to the United States. One such individual was Heinrich Malk, who arrived in New York City in 1849 and later settled in the state of Pennsylvania, where he worked as a farmer.

While the surname MALK is not among the most common in Germany today, it has a long and rich history that can be traced back to its origins in the Bavarian region centuries ago. The name's likely association with dairy farming and milk production adds an interesting layer to its etymology and provides insight into the lives and occupations of its earliest bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Malk

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

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 Malk was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only74.63%100
Non-Hispanic Black Only16.42%22
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin5.97%8

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 Malk has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White74.63%68.71%8.26%
Black16.42%18.40%-11.37%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%6.13%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races(S)%5.52%(S)%
Hispanic5.97%(S)%(S)%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.

Search
Search
Background shape