2000
#98,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Malkovich
A surname of Russian origin meaning "little" or "small one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 229 Americans carry the last name Malkovich. That puts it at #97,359 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,496,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malkovich 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
229
1 in 1,496,744
Census rank
#97,359
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
200
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 200 bearers of the surname Malkovich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 97359th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malkovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malkovich
The surname Malkovich is of Croatian origin and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the Croatian town of Malkovići, located in the Dalmatian hinterland. The name itself is derived from the Slavic word "malko," which means "small" or "little," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone of small stature or a young person.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malkovich can be found in a document dating back to 1487, which mentions a certain Petar Malkovich from the town of Malkovići. This document is preserved in the archives of the Republic of Ragusa (modern-day Dubrovnik), a prominent maritime republic at the time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Malkovich family seems to have spread across different regions of the Balkan Peninsula, with records showing individuals bearing the name in various parts of Croatia, as well as in neighboring countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname Malkovich was Ivan Malkovich (1731-1807), a Croatian priest and scholar who was known for his contributions to the field of theology and his work on translating religious texts into the Croatian language.
Another significant individual was Nikola Malkovich (1854-1932), a Croatian-born engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Panama Canal. He was responsible for overseeing a significant portion of the excavation work and is recognized for his engineering expertise and leadership skills.
In the 20th century, the most famous bearer of the Malkovich surname is undoubtedly the American actor John Malkovich, born in 1953. Known for his versatile acting skills and distinctive voice, Malkovich has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.
Other notable individuals with the Malkovich surname include Andrija Malkovich (1847-1916), a Croatian military officer who served in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Marko Malkovich (1879-1957), a Croatian painter and sculptor who was part of the Naive Art movement in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malkovich
Among Census respondents with the surname Malkovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Malkovich 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 Malkovich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 8
- Two or more races2.0% · 4
- Black or African American1.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malkovich
Malkovich 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
#98,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 183
+13 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 212 places
2020
#97,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
+17 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 1,623 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #98,770 | 170 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #98,982 | 183 | 0.06 | +13 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 212 places |
| 2020 | #97,359 | 200 | 0.07 | +17 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 1,623 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 Malkovich 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 | #98,982 | #97,359 | 1.6% |
| Count | 183 | 200 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malkovich bearers went from 183 to 200 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 1,623 positions in the national ranking, going from #98,982 to #97,359.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Malkovich
FAQ
Malkovich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malkovich?
Name Census estimates that about 229 living Americans carry the surname Malkovich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,496,744 residents.
How common is Malkovich?
Malkovich ranks #97,359 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 200 people with the surname Malkovich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (229), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Malkovich.
Has Malkovich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malkovich went from 183 recorded bearers to 200. That is an increase of 17 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #98,982 to #97,359.
What does the Census say about the background of Malkovich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malkovich, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Malkovich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (185 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malkovich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Malkovich (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 Malkovich mean?
A surname of Russian origin meaning "little" or "small one". 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 Malkovich (0.07 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 Malkovich?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.