Show ContentsMalpass History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Malpass is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Malpass family lived in Malpas, a parish in the union of Wrexham in the county of Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Malpass family

The surname Malpass was first found in Cheshire at Malpas, a large village and former market town, in the unions of Nantwich, Great Boughton, and Wrexham, chiefly in the Higher division of the hundred of Broxton. The barony formed part of the possessions of Earl Edwin prior to the Conquest, and was given by the first Norman earl of Chester to Robert Fitz-Hugh, one of the eight barons of his parliament. The castle, the head of the barony, was built soon after the Conquest, and stood immediately adjoining the church, but today all that is left is a circular mound, on which the keep stood. The place name literally means "the difficult passage" from the Old French words mal + pas.

Early History of the Malpass family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Malpass research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1625 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Malpass History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Malpass Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Malpas, Malpus, Malpass and others.

Early Notables of the Malpass family

More information is included under the topic Early Malpass Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Malpass Ranking

In the United States, the name Malpass is the 12,786th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Malpass family to Ireland

Some of the Malpass family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Malpass migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Malpass Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

New Zealand Malpass migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Malpass Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Charles Malpass, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843

Contemporary Notables of the name Malpass (post 1700) +

  • David R. Malpass (b. 1956), American economist and politician, Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary under President Ronald Reagan
  • Steve Malpass (b. 1971), American former designer and voice actor
  • Monica Malpass (b. 1961), American journalist and television anchor
  • Michael Malpass (1946-1991), American sculptor and artist from Yonkers, best known for his spheres
  • Frank P. Malpass, American politician, Justice of New York Supreme Court 5th District, 1948-52 3
  • C. Dana Malpass, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Representative from Indiana 8th District, 1944, 1946 3
  • Samuel Thomas Malpass (1918-1983), English professional footballer
  • Eric Lawson Malpass (1910-1996), English novelist


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook