Explore the Family Name Malla

The meaning of Malla

1. Nepali: name found among Thakuris and among Kshatriyas of the Newar people, from Sanskrit malla ‘strongman, wrestler’. This was the name of a dynasty which ruled Kathmandu Valley from the 13th to the 18th century. 2. Muslim (mainly Syria and Lebanon): probably from the Arabic personal name Muʿallā, from muʿallā ‘elevated’, ultimately from a root meaning ‘high’ (see Ali). 3. Spanish: unexplained.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Malla in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Malla has seen a significant increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Malla was ranked 66,073rd most common surname, but by 2010 it had jumped to 34,758th, a climb of 47.39%. The count of individuals with this surname also more than doubled from 280 in 2000 to 650 in 2010, marking an impressive growth of 132.14%. The proportion of people with the Malla surname per 100,000 population increased from 0.1 to 0.22 over the decade, indicating a rise of 120%.

20002010Change
Rank#66,073#34,75847.39%
Count280650132.14%
Proportion per 100k0.10.22120%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Malla

The ethnic identity linked with the surname Malla, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, has also seen interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 49.29% to 66.31%, a change of 34.53%. There was a decrease in the proportion identifying as White (from 21.07% to 10.92%) and Hispanic (from 22.14% to 18.62%). The percentage who identify with two or more races dropped significantly from 6.07% to 2.31%, a decrease of 61.94%. No changes were recorded for those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander49.29%66.31%34.53%
Hispanic22.14%18.62%-15.9%
White21.07%10.92%-48.17%
Two or More Races6.07%2.31%-61.94%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%