2000
#72,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 251
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Malnati
A surname denoting a person from the town of Malnate in Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 313 Americans carry the last name Malnati. That puts it at #76,032 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,095,062 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malnati 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.
Bearers in the US
313
1 in 1,095,062
Census rank
#76,032
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
273
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 273 bearers of the surname Malnati in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 76032nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malnati, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malnati
The surname Malnati has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto. It is derived from the Italian word "mal nato," which translates to "badly born" or "born under unfavorable circumstances." This name likely emerged during the medieval period, possibly as a descriptive nickname or a reference to a difficult birth.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malnati can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries. This suggests that the name has been in use for over a millennium.
In the 14th century, the Malnati family was mentioned in the records of the city of Verona, where they were involved in the silk trade. Prominent members of the family during this time included Bartolomeo Malnati (1302-1376), a successful merchant, and his son, Giacomo Malnati (1338-1412), who served as a diplomat for the city.
During the Renaissance period, the Malnati family gained prominence in the arts. Francesco Malnati (1457-1527), a painter from Mantua, was renowned for his frescoes adorning various churches and palaces throughout northern Italy. His nephew, Antonio Malnati (1481-1556), was an accomplished sculptor who worked on several commissions for the Gonzaga family, rulers of Mantua.
In the 18th century, the Malnati name appeared in the records of the University of Padua, where several members of the family pursued studies in medicine and law. One notable figure was Giovanni Battista Malnati (1725-1796), a respected physician and author of several medical treatises.
Another significant figure in the Malnati family was Cesare Malnati (1810-1888), a military officer who served in the Italian unification wars under Giuseppe Garibaldi. He played a crucial role in the Battle of Calatafimi in 1860, which paved the way for the eventual unification of Italy.
While the surname Malnati was once concentrated in the northern regions of Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond due to migration and intermarriage. However, its origins remain firmly rooted in the rich history and culture of the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malnati
Among Census respondents with the surname Malnati, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Malnati 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 Malnati surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 243
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 14
- Two or more races4.0% · 11
- Black or African American1.1% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malnati
Malnati 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
#74,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 260
+9 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 2,138 places
2020
#76,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 273
+13 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 1,657 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #72,237 | 251 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #74,375 | 260 | 0.09 | +9 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 2,138 places |
| 2020 | #76,032 | 273 | 0.09 | +13 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 1,657 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 Malnati 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 | #74,375 | #76,032 | -2.2% |
| Count | 260 | 273 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | 1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malnati bearers went from 260 to 273 (+5.0% change). The surname moved down 1,657 positions in the national ranking, going from #74,375 to #76,032.
FAQ
Malnati surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malnati?
Name Census estimates that about 313 living Americans carry the surname Malnati. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,095,062 residents.
How common is Malnati?
Malnati ranks #76,032 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 273 people with the surname Malnati. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (313), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Malnati.
Has Malnati become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malnati went from 260 recorded bearers to 273. That is an increase of 13 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #74,375 to #76,032.
What does the Census say about the background of Malnati?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malnati, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Malnati in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (243 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malnati appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Malnati (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 Malnati mean?
A surname denoting a person from the town of Malnate in Italy. 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 Malnati (0.09 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 share the surname Malnati?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.