Malle
A variant of the French surname "Malet", derived from the Old Germanic word "mal" meaning speech or council.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 343 Americans carry the last name Malle. That puts it at #67,747 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 999,284 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malle surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
343
1 in 999,284
Census rank
#67,747
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
291
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 291 bearers of the surname Malle in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 67747th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malle, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%) and Black (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malle
The surname MALLE originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "malle," which referred to a type of traveling chest or trunk. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational name for someone who made or sold such chests.
The name MALLE first appeared in records from the northern regions of France, particularly in areas like Normandy and Picardy. It was sometimes spelled as "Malle" or "Mallet" in these early records.
One of the earliest known references to the name MALLE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named "Robert Malle" in Buckinghamshire.
In the 13th century, there are records of a prominent French family named MALLE who held land and titles in the region of Champagne. Notable members of this family include Gilles MALLE (c. 1240-1310), who was a knight and nobleman, and his son, Jacques MALLE (c. 1275-1348), who served as a military commander during the Hundred Years' War.
During the Renaissance period, the name MALLE was also associated with several notable scholars and artists. One example is Jean MALLE (1515-1585), a French humanist and writer who authored several works on philosophy and literature.
In the 17th century, the name MALLE appeared in connection with several places in France, such as the village of Malle in the Poitou region and the town of Malle-sur-Sarthe in Normandy. This suggests that some branches of the MALLE family may have taken their names from these locations.
Another notable figure with the surname MALLE was Louis-François MALLE (1743-1829), a French architect and engineer who was involved in the construction of several important buildings and infrastructure projects in Paris.
Throughout history, the MALLE surname has been carried by various other individuals, including artists, writers, and military figures, such as the 19th-century French painter Édouard MALLE (1835-1904) and the 20th-century French filmmaker Louis MALLE (1932-1995).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malle
Among Census respondents with the surname Malle, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%) and Black (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Malle bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Malle surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.9%
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.0%
- Black or African American7.9%
- Hispanic or Latino5.8%
- Two or more races2.4%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Malle surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #67,747 | #67,747 | 0.0% |
| Count | 291 | 291 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Malle bearers went from 291 to 291 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #67,747 to #67,747.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Malle
FAQ
Malle surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Malle?
The surname Malle holds position #67,747 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 343 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Malle surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malle, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%) and Black (7.9%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.