2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Malyk
A surname of Ukrainian origin meaning "little", "young", or "small".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Malyk. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malyk 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Malyk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malyk, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malyk
The surname MALYK is believed to have originated from Ukraine, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Ukrainian word "malyi," meaning "small" or "little." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to individuals who were physically small in stature or perhaps younger family members.
In the early days, the surname was often spelled as "Malyk" or "Malyk," reflecting the phonetic variations common in that era. The earliest known record of the name appears in a church registry from the town of Lviv, Ukraine, dated 1587, where a certain Ivan Malyk is mentioned.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the MALYK surname can be found scattered across various regions of Ukraine, particularly in the western and central parts of the country. One notable individual bearing this surname was Hryhoriy Malyk, a prominent military leader who fought in the Khmelnytsky Uprising against Polish rule in the mid-17th century.
As the Ukrainian diaspora spread across Europe and beyond, the MALYK surname traveled with them. In the late 19th century, a MALYK family is recorded as having settled in the city of Odessa, Russia (now Ukraine), where they established a successful trading business.
Among the notable figures with the MALYK surname, one can mention Oleksandr Malyk (1842-1915), a renowned Ukrainian painter and art educator who played a significant role in the development of Ukrainian realist art. Another notable bearer of this surname was Yuriy Malyk (1892-1970), a Ukrainian politician and writer who actively advocated for Ukrainian independence.
In the 20th century, the MALYK surname gained further recognition with individuals like Volodymyr Malyk (1920-1998), a Ukrainian writer and poet whose works explored themes of patriotism and national identity. Mykola Malyk (1928-2005), a celebrated Ukrainian composer and conductor, also carried this surname and contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of Ukrainian folk music traditions.
While the MALYK surname has its roots in Ukraine, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and Europe, carried by Ukrainian immigrants and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malyk
Among Census respondents with the surname Malyk, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Malyk 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 Malyk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 108
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malyk
Malyk 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
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,787 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 Malyk 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 | #150,452 | #148,665 | 1.2% |
| Count | 109 | 111 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malyk bearers went from 109 to 111 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #148,665.
FAQ
Malyk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malyk?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Malyk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Malyk?
Malyk ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Malyk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Malyk.
Has Malyk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malyk went from 109 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Malyk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malyk, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Malyk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malyk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Black (1.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Malyk (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 Malyk mean?
A surname of Ukrainian origin meaning "little", "young", or "small". 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 Malyk (0.04 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 Malyk?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.