Explore the Family Name Malik
The meaning of Malik
1. Muslim (mainly Pakistan), Indian (mainly Punjab), and Assyrian/Chaldean: from a personal name based on Arabic malik ‘king’; or a status name for a headman of a village or a tribal leader derived from the same title. Al-Malik ‘the King’ is an attribute of Allah, ‘the king of mankind’ (Koran 114:2), giving rise to the compound name ʿAbd al-Malik, ʿAbdul-Malik (see Abdelmalek and Abdulmalik). Compare Mallick. 2. Ukrainian and Rusyn (standard transliteration Malyk); Czech and Slovak (mainly Malík, also Málik); Polish, Sorbian, and Slovenian: nickname for a physically small man, derived from Ukrainian malyy, Czech and Slovak malý, Polish and Sorbian mały, Slovenian mal ‘small, little’. It is a cognate of Malec and Malek. Compare Malic and Malick. 3. Polish: from a pet form of the Old Polish personal name Małomir, based on Old Slavic malъ ‘small, little’. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Abdul, Mohammad, Khalid, Tariq, Muhammad, Ahmed, Shahid, Javed, Ali, Ghulam, Mohammed, Zafar. Indian Krishan, Ashok, Chander, Rajesh, Ashish, Asim, Rajiv, Rohit, Sanjay, Arun, Kiran, Madan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Malik in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Malik has grown significantly between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname rose from 3172 in 2000 to 2429 in 2010, marking a change of about 23.42%. Additionally, the count of individuals with this surname increased by approximately 43.84%, from 10,376 in 2000 to 14,925 in 2010. This rise also led to an increase in the proportion per 100k from 3.85 to 5.06, signaling a growth of 31.43%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,172 | #2,429 | 23.42% |
| Count | 10,376 | 14,925 | 43.84% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.85 | 5.06 | 31.43% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Malik
Regarding its ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of those bearing the Malik surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, with numbers rising from 52.72% in 2000 to 66.60% in 2010. Those identifying as white decreased from 29.87% in 2000 to 22.20% in 2010. The percentage of individuals recognizing themselves as two or more races saw a significant drop from 8.90% to 3.30%, while the Hispanic community saw a slight rise from 1.47% to 1.70%. The number of Blacks reduced slightly from 6.74% to 6.13% and there was a dramatic decline in those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native from 0.31% to 0.07%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 52.72% | 66.6% | 26.33% |
| White | 29.87% | 22.2% | -25.68% |
| Black | 6.74% | 6.13% | -9.05% |
| Two or More Races | 8.9% | 3.3% | -62.92% |
| Hispanic | 1.47% | 1.7% | 15.65% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.31% | 0.07% | -77.42% |
Malik ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Malik is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 58.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Eastern European (8.5%) and British & Irish (8.0%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Bengali & Northeast Indian, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, Central Asian, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 58.2% |
| Eastern European | 8.5% |
| British & Irish | 8.0% |
| Other | 25.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Malik
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Malik have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Pakistan, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Punjab, Pakistan | 51.90% |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | 25.50% |
| Sindh, Pakistan | 19.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 16.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 16.30% |
What Malik haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Malik is R-Y6, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y6 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-Y7 and R-Z93, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Sharma, Khan, Singh, Hussain, Ahmed, Rahman, Kumar, Ahmad, Mehta, Ali.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Malik surname are: M, H, M30. These most commonly trace back to individuals of Central & South Asian and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Malik have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Malik" Surname 37.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Malik" Surname 28.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Malik" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Malik" Surname 11.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Malik?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Malik are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition