2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Malvern
A surname derived from the town of Malvern in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Malvern. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malvern 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 Malvern with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Malvern in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malvern, the largest self-reported group is White at 42.4%. The next largest groups are Black (42.4%) and Hispanic (8.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malvern
The surname Malvern is of English origin and can be traced back to the town of Malvern in Worcestershire, England. The name is derived from the Old English words "mæl" meaning "cross" and "ærn" meaning "house or dwelling place", suggesting that it was originally a place name referring to a dwelling place with a cross or crucifix.
Malvern is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Malverne", indicating its early usage as a place name and potential origin for the surname. The first recorded instances of the surname Malvern date back to the 13th century, with records showing individuals such as William de Malverne (1275) and John de Malverne (1327) residing in the area.
During the Middle Ages, the town of Malvern became famous for its Benedictine monastery and the production of high-quality wool. This may have contributed to the surname's association with the wool trade and textile industry. Prominent individuals with the surname Malvern during this period include Richard Malvern (c. 1300-1370), a renowned wool merchant and landowner in Malvern.
As people began to migrate from rural areas to cities, the surname Malvern spread across England. Notable individuals include Sir Thomas Malvern (1545-1628), a successful merchant and Lord Mayor of London, and William Malvern (1610-1678), a Puritan minister and author who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Malvern became associated with the spa town of Malvern in Worcestershire, known for its natural spring waters and hydropathic treatments. This led to the emergence of individuals such as Dr. James Manby Gully (1808-1883), a prominent hydropathist and supporter of the water cure movement, who established a successful practice in Malvern.
Throughout history, the surname Malvern has been linked to various professions, including clergy, merchants, and medical practitioners. Other notable individuals with this surname include Sir Godfrey Malvern (1901-1985), a British diplomat and ambassador to the United States, and George Malvern (1857-1932), an English cricketer who played for Worcestershire County Cricket Club.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malvern
Among Census respondents with the surname Malvern, the largest self-reported group is White at 42.4%. The next largest groups are Black (42.4%) and Hispanic (8.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Malvern 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 Malvern surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White42.4% · 42
- Black or African American42.4% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino8.1% · 8
- Two or more races7.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malvern
Malvern appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-4 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,229 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 1,229 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 Malvern 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 | #157,234 | #156,005 | 0.8% |
| Count | 103 | 99 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malvern bearers went from 103 to 99 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 1,229 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #156,005.
FAQ
Malvern surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malvern?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Malvern. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Malvern?
Malvern ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Malvern. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Malvern.
Has Malvern become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malvern went from 103 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Malvern?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malvern, the largest self-reported group is White at 42.4%. The next largest groups are Black (42.4%) and Hispanic (8.1%). 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 Malvern in the 2020 Census, accounting for 42.4% (42 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malvern appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (42.4%), Black (42.4%), Hispanic (8.1%). 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 Malvern (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 Malvern mean?
A surname derived from the town of Malvern in England. 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 Malvern (0.03 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 last name Malvern?
See how many people have the last name Malvern on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.