2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Matloff
A surname of Slavic origin meaning "little mat" or "small carpet".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 155 Americans carry the last name Matloff. That puts it at #131,120 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,211,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matloff 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
155
1 in 2,211,318
Census rank
#131,120
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
135
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 135 bearers of the surname Matloff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 131120th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matloff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matloff
The surname MATLOFF is believed to have its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in the areas that are now modern-day Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine. It is thought to have derived from the Slavic word "matla," which means "broom" or "whisk." This connection suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname given to those who worked as broom makers or sold brooms.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MATLOFF surname can be found in the Polish Census of 1564, where a family with the surname "Matlof" is listed as residing in the town of Krakow. This spelling variation, "Matlof," provides insight into the potential evolution of the name over time.
In the late 17th century, records show a man named Samuel MATLOFF, born in 1685, living in the town of Bialystok, which was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He is believed to be one of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname.
During the 18th century, the MATLOFF surname started to spread across Eastern Europe, with families bearing this name appearing in various regions of the Russian Empire, including present-day Ukraine and Belarus. One notable figure from this period was Ivan MATLOFF, a Ukrainian merchant born in 1755, who established a successful trading business in the city of Odessa.
As the 19th century progressed, the MATLOFF surname began to appear more frequently in historical records, with several individuals making notable contributions in various fields. For instance, Mikhail MATLOFF (1832-1901), a Russian military officer and writer, authored several works on military strategy and tactics.
Another prominent figure was Ekaterina MATLOFF (1863-1924), a Russian-born artist who gained recognition for her landscape paintings and portraiture. Her works were exhibited in several prominent galleries throughout Europe during her lifetime.
In the early 20th century, the MATLOFF surname spread further as families emigrated from Eastern Europe to other parts of the world, particularly to the United States and Western Europe. One notable individual from this period was Boris MATLOFF (1905-1982), a Soviet-born engineer who made significant contributions to the field of aeronautics after emigrating to the United States.
Overall, the surname MATLOFF has a rich history rooted in Eastern Europe, with its origins likely stemming from an occupational connection to broom making or selling. While the name has evolved over centuries and spread across various regions, it continues to hold a significant place in the diverse tapestry of global surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matloff
Among Census respondents with the surname Matloff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Matloff 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 Matloff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 122
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 4
- Black or African American2.2% · 3
- Two or more races1.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matloff
Matloff 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+5 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,269 places
2020
#131,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+10 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 3,592 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 4,269 places |
| 2020 | #131,120 | 135 | 0.05 | +10 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 3,592 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 Matloff 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 | #134,712 | #131,120 | 2.7% |
| Count | 125 | 135 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 12.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matloff bearers went from 125 to 135 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 3,592 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #131,120.
FAQ
Matloff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matloff?
Name Census estimates that about 155 living Americans carry the surname Matloff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,211,318 residents.
How common is Matloff?
Matloff ranks #131,120 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 135 people with the surname Matloff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (155), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Matloff.
Has Matloff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matloff went from 125 recorded bearers to 135. That is an increase of 10 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #134,712 to #131,120.
What does the Census say about the background of Matloff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matloff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Matloff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (122 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matloff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (3.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Matloff (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 Matloff mean?
A surname of Slavic origin meaning "little mat" or "small carpet". 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 Matloff (0.05 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 Matloff?
If you just want to know how common the surname Matloff is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.