Explore the Family Name Malatesta
The meaning of Malatesta
Italian: from mala (feminine of malo) ‘wicked, bad, mean’ + testa ‘head’, used as a nickname for a stubborn or malicious person. History: The Malatestas were a noble family who ruled Rimini during the Italian Renaissance. Sigismondo Malatesta (1417–68) is often regarded as the prototype of an Italian Renaissance prince. Ercole Malatesta was a soldier in the service of Venice in the 16th century; in 1582, as commander of the guard in Rethimno (Crete), he led an attack on the Turks in the Peloponnese. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Dino, Luigi, Angelo, Antonio, Carmine, Ferdinando, Gabriele, Gino, Giuseppina, Massimo, Nicola, Nino.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Malatesta in the United States?
The surname "Malatesta" ranked 19,187 in popularity in the year 2000 according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. By 2010, the rank slightly decreased to 19,803, marking a change of -3.21 percent. Despite this drop in rank, the count of individuals with the Malatesta surname increased from 1,309 in 2000 to 1,358 in 2010, a growth of 3.74 percent. The proportion of the Malatesta surname per 100,000 people fell by 6.12 percent over the decade, from 0.49 to 0.46.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #19,187 | #19,803 | -3.21% |
| Count | 1,309 | 1,358 | 3.74% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.49 | 0.46 | -6.12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Malatesta
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the ethnic identity associated with the Malatesta surname diversified from 2000 to 2010. While the majority of Malatestas identified as white in both years, there was a slight dip from 96.72 percent in 2000 to 94.62 percent in 2010. The percentage identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase of 57.28 percent during the same period, rising from 2.06 percent to 3.24 percent. A small portion of the Malatesta population reported having two or more ethnicities, increasing from 0.84 percent in 2000 to 0.96 percent in 2010. For the first time in 2010, less than one percent (0.88) identified as Asian/Pacific Islander. No Malatestas identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.72% | 94.62% | -2.17% |
| Hispanic | 2.06% | 3.24% | 57.28% |
| Two or More Races | 0.84% | 0.96% | 14.29% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.88% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |