2000
#7,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,940
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Malley
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Máille, meaning "descendant of Máille" (a personal name of uncertain origin).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,106 Americans carry the last name Malley. That puts it at #8,786 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,476 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malley 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 Malley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,476
Census rank
#8,786
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,581 bearers of the surname Malley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8786th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malley
The surname Malley is believed to have originated in Ireland, derived from the Gaelic personal name Maelmhaedhoc, which means "a devotee of St. Maedhoc." The name was anglicized to various spellings, including Malley, Melly, Milley, and Molly.
The first recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In these annals, the name is spelled "Ó Máille," which translates to "descendant of Máille."
During the Middle Ages, the Malley clan was prominent in County Mayo, Ireland, particularly in the baronies of Erris and Gallen. They were a powerful family and held significant influence in the region.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Malley was Tomaltach Ó Máille, a 14th-century chieftain and leader of the Malley clan. He is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters for his involvement in various conflicts and battles.
In the 16th century, the Malley family was engaged in a long-standing feud with the Bourke family, another prominent clan in County Mayo. This conflict is recorded in various historical accounts and manuscripts from that era.
Another notable figure with the surname Malley was Reverend Francis Malley, a Catholic priest who lived in the late 17th century. He was known for his efforts in preserving the Irish language and culture during a time of oppression against Catholics in Ireland.
In the 18th century, John Malley, a merchant and landowner from County Mayo, gained recognition for his business ventures and philanthropic contributions to the local community.
During the 19th century, a prominent figure with the Malley surname was Sir Hugh Malley, a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Order of the Bath for his distinguished service.
The surname Malley has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Malleytown and Malleybrackey, further reflecting its historical roots and connections to specific regions within the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malley
Among Census respondents with the surname Malley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Malley 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 Malley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 3,232
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 127
- Two or more races3.0% · 108
- Black or African American2.0% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malley
Malley 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
#8,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,986
+46 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 539 places
2020
#8,786
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,581
-405 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 473 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,774 | 3,940 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,313 | 3,986 | 1.35 | +46 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 539 places |
| 2020 | #8,786 | 3,581 | 1.20 | -405 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 473 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 Malley 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 | #8,313 | #8,786 | -5.7% |
| Count | 3,986 | 3,581 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.20 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malley bearers went from 3,986 to 3,581 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 473 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,313 to #8,786.
FAQ
Malley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malley?
Name Census estimates that about 4,106 living Americans carry the surname Malley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,476 residents.
How common is Malley?
Malley ranks #8,786 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,581 people with the surname Malley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,106), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Malley.
Has Malley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malley went from 3,986 recorded bearers to 3,581. That is a decrease of 405 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,313 to #8,786.
What does the Census say about the background of Malley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Malley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (3,232 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Malley (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 Malley mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Máille, meaning "descendant of Máille" (a personal name of uncertain origin). 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 Malley (1.20 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 Malley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.