Surname Mallez - Meaning and Origin
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Mallez: What does the surname Mallez mean?
The last name Mallez is believed to have its roots in the ancient French language and culture. The name is derived from the term ‘mal’, meaning bad or evil, and ‘ez’ which represents the French word ‘ese’, meaning one. Hence, the name Mallez translates into ‘one who is bad or evil’.
Historically, the Mallez surname likely originated in France, where references to it can be traced back to the 11th century in Normandy. It is believed that it was first used by a small but influential community of families in France, before eventually spreading across Europe during the period of migration in the 16th century.
Today, the Mallez surname is most commonly found in France, but can also be seen dispersed throughout some other European countries such as Belgium and Germany. It can occasionally also be found in Canada and the United States, where it has presumably been brought over by the descendants of French immigrants.
The Mallez name is popular among French families today and is often used to honor ancestors who had the surname. It is a reminder to those who bear it of their ancestors’ heritage and a sign of their enduring legacy, even after centuries of changing times.
Order DNA origin analysisMallez: Where does the name Mallez come from?
The last name Mallez is most commonly found in France. This name has been part of the French nobility for centuries and its earliest known recordings can be found in the 13th century. The name was mainly found in the Provence region of south-eastern France.
Today, the name Mallez is most commonly found in the south-eastern part of France, especially along the French Riviera, in the departments of Var and Alpes-Maritimes, which lies to the east of the city of Nice. According to a 2008 survey by the INSEE, the last name Mallez is the 1803rd most common name in France, with 536 people having this last name.
The last name is also found in Belgium, where it is recorded that in 2001 there were 101 people in the country with the last name Mallez. Outside of France and Belgium, the last name Mallez is very rare, although there is a recorded presence in Switzerland, Canada, and the United States.
In the United States, Mallez households are mainly concentrated in the states of California, Texas, Florida, and New York. According to the US Census Bureau, there were 668 households with the last name Mallez recorded in the 2017 survey.
Variations of the surname Mallez
Mallez is a surname of French origin that has many variants. These variants include Mallet, Mallot, Mallis, Malles, Mallez, Malleo, Maller, Malleron, Malléon, Malle, Mallet, Mallot, MALLAT, MALLES, Mallès, Mellet, Melet, MELLEZ, Malleis, Melles, Malletz, Malleau, Mallaux, Mallea and Malle.
Mallez is derived from the Old French word mael, which means 'hammer'. Given this origin, many of the variants of Mallez refer directly to a hammer in some way, for example Mallot, which is taken from the Old French Mallot which translates to 'hammer head'. Similarly, Malleron refers to a 'small hammer'. Many of these variants are simply the regional dialect forms of Mallez.
The spelling of Mallez also has many variants. Common spellings are Males, Malles, Mals, Mallis, Mallez, Melles, Malleos and Malletz.
Surnames with similar meanings may also be considered related to Mallez. Names like Hammer, Hammersmith, Forrester, Molin, Carpentier, and Forgeron all share the same root meaning as Mallez. Many of these, like Smith, also have multiple spellings and variants.
Overall, there are many variants and spellings related to the surname Mallez. The various variations across different regions all point back to a common origin meaning of 'hammer'.
Famous people with the name Mallez
- Maëlle Avia-Mallez, French-born lawyer, journalist and activist for democracy.
- Raphaëlle Mallez, French journalist based in Toronto, Canada.
- Alex Mallez, Danish wheelchair racer who competes for her home country of France.
- Jules Mallez, French cyclist who competed in the 1904 Olympic Games.
- Daniel Mallez, French psychiatrist who was the first to define sleepwalking.
- Marie Mallez, French female aviator who flew around the world in 1929.
- Hermine Mallez, French-American author known for the 1915 novel My Heart's Twilight.
- Timothee Mallez, French digital designer and entrepreneur.
- Pascal Mallez, French film director and actor best known for the 2018 horror film L'oeil du Grand Seigneur.
- Loup Mallez, French singer-songwriter whose debut album came out in 2015.