Micallef last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Micallef is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Micallef.

Meaning of Micallef

A surname derived from the Hebrew given name Michael and commonly found in Malta.

Micallef, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Micallef surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Micallef in America

Micallef is the 27392nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Micallef surname appeared 881 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Micallef.

We can also compare 2010 data for Micallef to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 27392 28700 -4.66%
Count 881 781 12.03%
Proportion per 100k 0.30 0.29 3.39%

The history of the last name Micallef

The surname Micallef is of Maltese origin, deriving from the Arabic personal name Miqellef, meaning "the trusted one" or "the honored one." This name has its roots in the Arab conquest and rule of Malta in the 9th century.

Historically, the surname Micallef is associated with the island of Malta, with records indicating its presence dating back to the 15th century. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in a document from 1419, which refers to a certain Frangisk Micallef from the village of Qrendi.

During the period of the Knights Hospitaller's rule over Malta, from the 16th to the 18th century, the Micallef surname became more widespread. Several notable individuals bearing this name emerged, including Girolamo Micallef, a Maltese writer and philosopher who lived from 1639 to 1699.

Another prominent figure was Nicolò Micallef, a 17th-century Maltese architect and engineer who played a significant role in the construction of several fortifications and buildings on the island, including the renowned Manoel Theatre in Valletta.

In the 19th century, a Micallef family from the village of Siġġiewi gained prominence. One member, Salvatore Micallef, born in 1820, was a respected physician and philanthropist who contributed greatly to the local community.

The surname Micallef also has a connection to the island's religious history. In the 18th century, Gian Battista Micallef served as the Bishop of Malta from 1757 to 1786, leaving a lasting impact on the island's religious and cultural landscape.

As the Maltese diaspora spread around the world, the surname Micallef traveled with them. Notable individuals with this last name can be found in various countries, such as Etienne Micallef, a French-Maltese artist and sculptor born in 1934, and Joseph Micallef, an American author and historian born in 1948.

While the name Micallef has its origins in Malta, it has become a global surname, carried by families and individuals across different continents and cultures, yet still retaining its unique Maltese heritage and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Micallef

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Micallef.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Micallef was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.55% 833
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.91% 8
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.14% 10
Hispanic Origin 3.06% 27

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Micallef has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.55% 95.77% -1.28%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.91% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.14% 0.64% 56.18%
Hispanic 3.06% 2.82% 8.16%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Micallef was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Micallef, please contact us.

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"Micallef last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 16, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/micallef-surname-popularity/.

"Micallef last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/micallef-surname-popularity/. Accessed 16 July, 2025

Micallef last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/micallef-surname-popularity/.

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