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

Mallah, 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 Mallah surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mallah in America

Mallah is the 64721st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mallah surname appeared 307 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 Mallah.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mallah 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 Mallah

The surname MALLAH is of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "malaha", which means "boatman" or "sailor". It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the MALLAH surname can be traced back to the 12th century when it appeared in various local records and manuscripts. These records often referred to individuals who were involved in the transportation of goods and people along the major rivers and waterways of the region.

One of the earliest known references to the MALLAH surname is found in the "Ain-i-Akbari", a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document mentions a certain Malik Mallah, who was a prominent boatman and trader operating along the Ganges River.

In the 17th century, the MALLAH surname gained prominence in the city of Varanasi, a major center of trade and commerce along the Ganges River. Several notable individuals with the MALLAH surname emerged during this period, including Pandit Govind Mallah (1620-1695), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet, and Raghunath Mallah (1670-1745), a successful merchant and philanthropist.

As the MALLAH community expanded and migrated across the Indian subcontinent, the surname spread to other regions, including present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. One notable figure from this period was Shah Inayat Mallah (1739-1812), a Sufi saint and spiritual leader who lived in the Punjab region.

In the 19th century, the MALLAH surname was also found in various parts of British India, as recorded in colonial administrative records. One prominent individual from this era was Babu Rajendra Mallah (1825-1890), a social reformer and educationist from Bengal who played a significant role in the Indian Renaissance movement.

Over the centuries, the MALLAH surname has been associated with a diverse range of individuals, including scholars, merchants, spiritual leaders, and social reformers, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and history of the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mallah

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

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

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

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