2000
#59,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 320
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Malden
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Malden in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 413 Americans carry the last name Malden. That puts it at #60,433 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 829,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malden 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 Malden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
413
1 in 829,914
Census rank
#60,433
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
360
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 360 bearers of the surname Malden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60433rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malden, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.7%. The next largest groups are White (42.5%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malden
The surname Malden has its origins in England, tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English words "mæl" meaning "cross" and "dun" meaning "hill." The name likely referred to a person who lived near a hill with a cross or landmark on it.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Maldene." This suggests that the name was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name was commonly spelled "Maldun" or "Maldone." Over time, variations such as "Malden" and "Maldon" emerged in different regions of England.
Notable individuals with the surname Malden include Sir Thomas Malden (c. 1350-1428), a Member of Parliament for Essex during the reign of King Henry IV. Another was Sir William Malden (1525-1587), a prominent landowner and sheriff of Essex during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, John Malden (1593-1659) was an English clergyman and academic who served as President of St John's College, Oxford. Around the same time, Robert Malden (1625-1694) was a lawyer and author from Kent, known for his legal treatises.
Fast forward to the 19th century, Henry Malden (1800-1876) was an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on the history and topography of Surrey. He served as a vicar in the village of Malden, which likely took its name from the same Old English roots as the surname.
Throughout its history, the surname Malden has been associated with various place names across England, such as Malden in Essex, Malden in Surrey, and Maldon in Essex, reflecting the geographical origins and spread of families bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malden
Among Census respondents with the surname Malden, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.7%. The next largest groups are White (42.5%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Malden 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 Malden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American44.7% · 161
- White42.5% · 153
- Two or more races6.1% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malden
Malden 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
#76,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 253
-67 bearers (-20.9%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 16,882 places
2020
#60,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 360
+107 bearers (+42.3%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 15,596 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,147 | 320 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #76,029 | 253 | 0.09 | -67 bearers (-20.9%) | Down 16,882 places |
| 2020 | #60,433 | 360 | 0.12 | +107 bearers (+42.3%) | Up 15,596 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 Malden 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 | #76,029 | #60,433 | 20.5% |
| Count | 253 | 360 | 42.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.12 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malden bearers went from 253 to 360 (+42.3% change). The surname moved up 15,596 positions in the national ranking, going from #76,029 to #60,433.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Malden
FAQ
Malden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malden?
Name Census estimates that about 413 living Americans carry the surname Malden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 829,914 residents.
How common is Malden?
Malden ranks #60,433 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 360 people with the surname Malden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (413), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Malden.
Has Malden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malden went from 253 recorded bearers to 360. That is an increase of 107 (+42.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #76,029 to #60,433.
What does the Census say about the background of Malden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malden, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.7%. The next largest groups are White (42.5%) and Two or More Races (6.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Malden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.7% (161 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (44.7%), White (42.5%), Two or More Races (6.1%). 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 Malden (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 Malden mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Malden 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 Malden (0.12 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 Malden?
Find out how many people have the surname Malden on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.