NameCensus.

UK surname

Malpass

A surname denoting someone who traveled poorly or improperly.

In the 1881 census there were 771 people recorded with the Malpass surname, ranking it #4,799 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,569, ranked #3,951, up from #4,799 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, Stockport and Wolstanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Dudley and Stafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Malpass is 1,636 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 103.5%.

1881 census count

771

Ranked #4,799

Modern count

1,569

2016, ranked #3,951

Peak year

1999

1,636 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Malpass had 771 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,799 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,569 in 2016, ranked #3,951.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,351 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Malpass surname distribution map

The map shows where the Malpass surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Malpass surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Malpass over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 418 #5,816
1861 historical 407 #6,306
1881 historical 771 #4,799
1891 historical 935 #4,426
1901 historical 1,257 #3,942
1911 historical 1,351 #3,550
1997 modern 1,458 #4,002
1998 modern 1,634 #3,763
1999 modern 1,636 #3,790
2000 modern 1,603 #3,852
2001 modern 1,568 #3,852
2002 modern 1,572 #3,921
2003 modern 1,554 #3,875
2004 modern 1,572 #3,839
2005 modern 1,563 #3,815
2006 modern 1,551 #3,831
2007 modern 1,555 #3,853
2008 modern 1,573 #3,843
2009 modern 1,587 #3,907
2010 modern 1,593 #3,967
2011 modern 1,623 #3,868
2012 modern 1,569 #3,919
2013 modern 1,586 #3,947
2014 modern 1,581 #3,977
2015 modern 1,562 #3,984
2016 modern 1,569 #3,951

Geography

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Where Malpass' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, Stockport, Wolstanton, Burslem and Cam. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Dudley and Stafford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Wolstanton Staffordshire
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Cam Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 010 County Durham
2 Dudley 008 Dudley
3 County Durham 003 County Durham
4 Dudley 005 Dudley
5 Stafford 008 Stafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Malpass

These lists show first names that appear often with the Malpass surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Malpass

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Malpass, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Malpass surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Malpass household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Malpass is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Malpass is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Malpass falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Malpass is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Malpass, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Malpass

The surname MALPASS originated in the rural regions of the English counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire during the late medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "mal" meaning "cross" and "pas" meaning "path," referring to a specific crossroads or intersection along a path.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Lancashire Inquisitions of 1310, where a Richard del Malpass is listed as holding lands in the township of Shevington. This suggests the name was already well-established in the area by the early 14th century.

In the 1379 Poll Tax records for Yorkshire, a John Malpas is recorded living in the village of Cowick near Leeds. This alternative spelling of "Malpas" highlights the variation in early written forms of the surname.

The MALPASS name appears to have been particularly concentrated in the Wigan area of Lancashire, where several notable individuals bearing the surname can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries. These include Edward Malpass (1550-1628), a wealthy landowner and benefactor who endowed a school in Wigan, and Richard Malpass (1605-1672), a renowned local scholar and author.

In the nearby village of Billinge, the MALPASS family owned a significant amount of land and property during the 17th and 18th centuries. One notable member was James Malpass (1667-1741), a successful merchant and landowner who served as a Justice of the Peace.

Moving into the 19th century, the MALPASS name gained wider recognition with the achievements of Frederick Malpass (1820-1897), a pioneering English engineer and inventor who developed early designs for steam-powered road vehicles.

Other notable individuals with the MALPASS surname include Walter Malpass (1865-1944), a prominent English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, and Reginald Malpass (1890-1964), a British Army officer who served with distinction in World War I and later became a respected military historian.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Malpass families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Malpass surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 355 Malpass' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.93x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 355 13.93x
Gloucestershire 143 9.66x
Worcestershire 46 4.67x
Warwickshire 38 2.00x
Yorkshire 33 0.44x
Cheshire 24 1.44x
Derbyshire 23 1.95x
Shropshire 23 3.53x
Surrey 21 0.57x
Lancashire 18 0.20x
Glamorgan 16 1.22x
Middlesex 14 0.19x
Sussex 13 1.02x
Durham 2 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.20x
Monmouthshire 1 0.18x
Somerset 1 0.08x
Wiltshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedgley in Staffordshire leads with 65 Malpass' recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.67x.

Place Total Index
Sedgley 65 68.67x
Cam 39 859.03x
Stoke Upon Trent 37 13.69x
Burslem 30 41.09x
Kingswinford 24 25.93x
Trentham 22 101.48x
Thornbury 21 207.51x
Aston 20 3.81x
Stourbridge 19 74.89x
Audley 16 63.44x
Newcastle Under Lyme 16 35.48x
Birmingham 13 2.05x
Wednesbury 13 20.41x
Winterbourne 13 158.92x
Staveley 12 57.20x
Wolverhampton 12 6.12x
Bramhall 11 159.42x
Derby St Werburgh 11 16.12x
High Offley 11 523.81x
Smallthorne 11 116.28x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 6.57x
Kinver 10 136.05x
Stone 10 30.67x
Wollaston 10 160.00x
Wolstanton Chesterton 9 69.07x
Burwash 8 135.36x
Carshalton 8 56.82x
Frampton On Severn 8 321.29x
Sheffield 8 3.36x
Stockton 8 575.54x
Wolstanton 8 10.33x
Avening 7 133.84x
Battersea 7 2.52x
Bollington In 7 47.17x
Bridgnorth St Mary 7 110.06x
Darlaston 7 19.88x
Dudley 7 5.84x
Gloucester St Catherine 7 167.87x
Leonard Stanley 7 360.82x
Wolstanton Knutton 7 44.99x
Bobbington 6 571.43x
Eastington 6 122.45x
Haslingden 6 16.17x
Bermondsey 5 2.22x
Betley 5 235.85x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 5 67.57x
Clerkenwell London 5 2.81x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 5 18.45x
Gnosall 5 81.30x
Madeley 5 78.74x
Mexborough 5 33.67x
Roath 5 8.37x
Stonehouse 5 59.38x
Dyffryn Clydach 4 126.58x
Middlesbrough 4 4.11x
Ticehurst 4 51.35x
Tyrley 4 202.02x
Wavertree 4 13.95x
West Bromwich 4 2.74x
Bilston 3 6.07x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 2.15x
Claverley 3 68.18x
Congleton 3 10.42x
Edgbaston 3 5.08x
Radcliffe 3 6.95x
Ribbesford 3 36.54x
Starforth 3 225.56x
Wolstanton Golden 3 1000.00x
Wotton St Mary 3 39.06x
Ystradyfodwg 3 2.60x
Bethnal Green London 2 0.61x
Cardiff St John 2 4.66x
Cheddleton 2 37.52x
Cheltenham 2 1.75x
Eccleshall 2 20.70x
Halesowen 2 23.09x
Kidderminster Borough 2 3.47x
Nottingham St Mary 2 0.76x
Stapleton 2 7.12x
Tipton 2 2.56x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Malpass surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 51
Sarah 30
Elizabeth 29
Eliza 25
Ann 19
Ellen 15
Alice 12
Jane 12
Emily 11
Hannah 10
Annie 9
Caroline 8
Emma 8
Martha 8
Clara 7
Harriet 7
Fanny 6
Amelia 5
Catherine 5
Lydia 5
Florence 4
Lucy 4
Ada 3
Dinah 3
Esther 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Minnie 3
Rosannah 3
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Betsy 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Elizth. 2
Eva 2
Hester 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Nelly 2
Prudence 2
Rosa 2
Rose 2
Betrice 1
Ednear 1
Elisa 1
Eliz. 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Malpass surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 51
William 44
Thomas 37
George 26
Charles 21
James 19
Joseph 17
Henry 13
Samuel 13
Richard 11
Alfred 7
Frederick 7
David 6
Edward 6
Arthur 5
Albert 4
Benjamin 4
Enoch 4
Earnest 3
Francis 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Robert 3
Stephen 3
... 2
Dan 2
Daniel 2
Dennis 2
Malchus 2
Moses 2
Ralph 2
Richd.Henry 2
Wm. 2
Abraham 1
Alphacus 1
Andrew 1
Chas. 1
Cornock 1
Cuthbert 1
Edwar. 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Evan 1
Jessie 1
Joe 1
Jonathan 1
Levi 1
Mark 1
Maurice 1

FAQ

Malpass surname: questions and answers

How common was the Malpass surname in 1881?

In 1881, 771 people were recorded with the Malpass surname. That placed it at #4,799 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Malpass surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,569 in 2016. That gives Malpass a modern rank of #3,951.

What does the Malpass surname mean?

A surname denoting someone who traveled poorly or improperly.

What does the Malpass map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Malpass bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.