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

Mallen, 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 Mallen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mallen in America

Mallen is the 25272nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mallen surname appeared 980 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 Mallen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mallen 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 Mallen

The surname Mallen is believed to have originated in Ireland, where it first appeared in the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words 'mala' meaning 'brow' and 'lann' meaning 'enclosure', suggesting a potential meaning of 'one who dwells on the brow of a hill'.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a person named Mallen in the year 1181. The name also appears in various other historical records and manuscripts from Ireland during the 12th and 13th centuries.

In the 16th century, the Mallen surname was particularly prevalent in County Westmeath, Ireland, where it was associated with the Gaelic family of O'Mallen. During this time, the name was sometimes anglicized to Mullen or Mullan, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common in those days.

One notable figure bearing the Mallen surname was John Mallen, an Irish Jesuit priest who lived from 1615 to 1678. He was a prominent writer and philosopher, known for his works on theology and metaphysics.

Another historical figure was Edmond Mallen, born in 1709 in County Westmeath. He was a prominent landowner and member of the Irish Parliament in the mid-18th century, representing the borough of Trim.

In the 19th century, the Mallen surname spread beyond Ireland due to immigration. Peter Mallen, born in 1824 in County Mayo, was a successful businessman who established a successful brewing company in New York City after immigrating to the United States.

Mary Mallen, born in 1853 in County Sligo, was an influential Irish philanthropist and advocate for women's rights. She founded several charitable organizations and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of impoverished women and children in Ireland.

While the Mallen surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since been carried to various parts of the world by Irish emigrants and their descendants, becoming a part of the rich tapestry of global surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mallen

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

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

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

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