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Malan Family History

Malan Surname Meaning

French: nickname from the Occitan word malan meaning ‘poor crop/harvest’ (from Latin malus annus) and by extension ‘misfortune’. This surname (in any of the two possible senses; see also 2 below) is also established in South Africa.

French: habitational name from Malan, the name of several places in the southern part of France.

English: variant of Malin and Mayland.

Czech and Slovak: nickname for a small man, a derivative of malý ‘small’ (see Maly).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Malan family from?

You can see how Malan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Malan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Malan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 13 Malan families living in Yorkshire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Malan's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Malan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Malan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Malan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Malan. 89% of Malan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Malan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Private Means
    12%

What Malan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Malan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Malan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Malan

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Malan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Malan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Malan. For the veterans among your Malan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Malan military records

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What is the average Malan lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Malan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1976, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Malan in 1960 was 67, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Malan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Malan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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