2000
#12,573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,259
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Malo
A Spanish surname derived from the word "malo," meaning "bad" or "evil," likely referring to a person's character or reputation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,722 Americans carry the last name Malo. That puts it at #12,473 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 125,920 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malo 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
2.7K
1 in 125,920
Census rank
#12,473
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,374 bearers of the surname Malo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12473rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malo, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malo
The surname Malo is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "malo," which means "bad" or "evil." It is possible that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone with a fierce or intimidating personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Malo can be found in the historical records of the city of Genoa, dating back to the 15th century. In these records, a merchant named Giovanni Malo is mentioned, suggesting that the name was already established in the region at that time. The name also appears in various legal documents and property records from the same era, indicating its presence across northern Italy.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Antonio Malo (1490-1560) was a prominent sculptor and architect from the city of Padua. He was known for his work on several churches and public buildings in the Venetian Republic, including the Basilica of San Marco in Venice. His legacy as an artist and craftsman has contributed to the recognition of the Malo surname in the artistic circles of Renaissance Italy.
Another historical figure bearing the name Malo was Vincenzo Malo (1570-1632), a Catholic priest and theologian from the city of Milan. He was known for his scholarly works on theology and his involvement in the religious debates of the time. Malo's writings and contributions to the Church have been referenced in various ecclesiastical records and manuscripts from the 17th century.
In the realm of literature, Girolamo Malo (1625-1699) was a celebrated Italian poet and playwright from Venice. His works, which included comedies and tragedies, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and have been preserved in various literary anthologies and collections. Malo's poetic style and dramatic works have been studied and analyzed by scholars of Italian literature over the centuries.
During the 18th century, a notable figure named Pietro Malo (1720-1789) was a renowned physician and naturalist from the city of Verona. He made significant contributions to the field of botany and was recognized for his extensive research on the flora of northern Italy. Malo's scientific achievements and his published works on plant life have been referenced in numerous botanical journals and scientific records from that era.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the surname Malo. While the name originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to migration and the movement of people over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malo
Among Census respondents with the surname Malo, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Malo 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 Malo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.2% · 1,619
- Hispanic or Latino20.9% · 497
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.6% · 132
- Two or more races3.4% · 81
- Black or African American1.7% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malo
Malo 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
#13,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,316
+57 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 622 places
2020
#12,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,374
+58 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 722 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,573 | 2,259 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,195 | 2,316 | 0.79 | +57 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 622 places |
| 2020 | #12,473 | 2,374 | 0.79 | +58 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 722 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 Malo 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 | #13,195 | #12,473 | 5.5% |
| Count | 2,316 | 2,374 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malo bearers went from 2,316 to 2,374 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 722 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,195 to #12,473.
FAQ
Malo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,722 living Americans carry the surname Malo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 125,920 residents.
How common is Malo?
Malo ranks #12,473 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,374 people with the surname Malo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,722), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Malo.
Has Malo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malo went from 2,316 recorded bearers to 2,374. That is an increase of 58 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,195 to #12,473.
What does the Census say about the background of Malo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malo, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.6%). 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 Malo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.2% (1,619 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.2%), Hispanic (20.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.6%). 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 Malo (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 Malo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "malo," meaning "bad" or "evil," likely referring to a person's character or reputation. 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 Malo (0.79 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 are called Malo?
You can see how many people have the last name Malo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.