2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mallalieu
A derived French surname potentially meaning "hamlet dweller".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Mallalieu. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mallalieu 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mallalieu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Mallalieu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mallalieu, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mallalieu
The surname Mallalieu has its origins in France, deriving from the Old French word "malal" or "malau," which translates to "sick" or "ill." It likely emerged as a descriptive nickname for someone who appeared sickly or pale in appearance.
In the 11th century, the name was first recorded in Normandy, a region in northern France. During this period, variations of the spelling included Malaleu, Malalleu, and Malalyeu. The name's earliest documented appearance is found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and property compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Mallalieu name was Gervais Mallalieu, a Norman nobleman who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Gervais Mallalieu was granted lands in Lincolnshire, and his descendants continued to reside in the area for several centuries.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various records across England, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed landowners and their holdings. During this time, the name was often associated with the village of Mallalieu in Lincolnshire, suggesting a possible place of origin for some branches of the family.
Notable individuals with the Mallalieu surname include Sir John Mallalieu (1572-1642), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent figure was William Mallalieu (1678-1731), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the East Midlands region of England.
In the 19th century, Joseph Mallalieu (1828-1909) gained recognition as a Methodist minister and author, publishing several influential works on theology and religious history. Additionally, James Mallalieu (1805-1879), a successful industrialist and philanthropist, made significant contributions to the development of the textile industry in Lancashire.
Another notable bearer of the Mallalieu name was Sir Godfrey Mallalieu (1897-1985), a distinguished British lawyer and judge who served as Lord Justice of Appeal and played a pivotal role in shaping legal principles and precedents during his illustrious career.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mallalieu
Among Census respondents with the surname Mallalieu, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mallalieu 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 Mallalieu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 107
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mallalieu
Mallalieu 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+12 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,560 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 2,560 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,821 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 Mallalieu 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 | #139,228 | #142,049 | -2.0% |
| Count | 120 | 120 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mallalieu bearers went from 120 to 120 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #142,049.
FAQ
Mallalieu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mallalieu?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Mallalieu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Mallalieu?
Mallalieu ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Mallalieu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Mallalieu.
Has Mallalieu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mallalieu went from 120 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Mallalieu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mallalieu, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Mallalieu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mallalieu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Mallalieu (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 Mallalieu mean?
A derived French surname potentially meaning "hamlet dweller". 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 Mallalieu (0.04 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 people have the surname Mallalieu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.