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    The surname Malcolm

    A surname, carried by 10,618 people in the United States.

    Pronounced /ˈmæl.kəm/ 2 syllables Soundex M424 Also a first name

    Malcolm: #3,364 of 162,253 surnames in the 2010 US Census #1Smith#160,975Doriott#10Martinez#100Jimenez#1,000Archer#10,001Dubon Malcolm #3,364, 10,618 people Malcolm: #3,364 of 162,253 surnames in the 2010 US Census #1Smith#160,975Doriott#100Jimenez Malcolm #3,364, 10,618 people
    Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Malcolm is more common than 97.9% of them.

    Origin

    Royal name in Scotland, anglicised from various historical Goidelic names equivalent to Scottish Gaelic Maol Chaluim or Calum, Irish Maol Colm, Middle Irish Máel Coluim, Old Irish Máel Columb (literally “devotee of [Saint] Columba”); proper nouns derived from máel (“tonsured”) from Proto-Celtic *mailos, and columb (“dove”) from Latin columbus.

    Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    How common it is

    2010 US Census

    There were 10,618 people named Malcolm in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 29,078 Americans. That is up 10% since 2000, when the Census counted 9,643.

    #3,364
    rank among US surnames
    10,618
    people in 2010
    3.6
    per 100,000 Americans
    +10.1%
    change since 2000 (was #3,399)
    RankSurnamePeople1 in
    #3,355Stowe10,66828,941
    #3,356Olguín10,66028,963
    #3,357Younger10,65828,968
    #3,358Toro10,65028,990
    #3,359Kitchens10,64728,998
    #3,360Libby10,63129,042
    #3,362Crider10,62129,069

    Who is named Malcolm

    Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

    65% of people named Malcolm identified as white (not Hispanic), 30% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.2% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

    • White (not Hispanic) 65%
    • Black (not Hispanic) 30%
    • Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.2%
    • Two or more races 1.7%
    • American Indian and Alaska Native 0.7%
    • Asian and Pacific Islander 0.4%

    Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

    Famous Malcolms

    4 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Norman Malcolm
      American philosopher (1911-1990)
    • Janet Malcolm
      American journalist (1934–2021)
    • Bridget Malcolm
      Australian model, born 1991
    • Collin Malcolm
      American basketball player (born 1997)

    Notable Malcolms come mostly from the United States (3) and Australia (1).

    Questions

    Where does the surname Malcolm come from?
    Royal name in Scotland, anglicised from various historical Goidelic names equivalent to Scottish Gaelic Maol Chaluim or Calum, Irish Maol Colm, Middle Irish Máel Coluim, Old Irish Máel Columb (literally “devotee of [Saint] Columba”); proper nouns derived from máel (“tonsured”) from Proto-Celtic…
    How common is the surname Malcolm?
    10,618 people in the United States had the surname Malcolm in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 29,078 Americans. It ranked 3,364th of 162,253 surnames.
    What ethnicity is the surname Malcolm?
    In the 2010 Census, 65% of people named Malcolm identified as white (not Hispanic), and 30% as Black (not Hispanic).
    Who is the most famous person named Malcolm?
    Norman Malcolm, American philosopher (1911-1990), followed by Janet Malcolm.
    Where is the surname Malcolm most common?
    Wikidata records people named Malcolm in the United States and Australia.
    How do you pronounce Malcolm?
    Malcolm is /ˈmæl.kəm/, 2 syllables.
    Is the surname Malcolm getting more or less common?
    More common. 9,643 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 10,618 in 2010, up 10%.
    Is Malcolm also a first name?
    Yes. Malcolm is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.