What is the orgins of the last name "Malkin."?

Question:

What is the orgins of the last name "Malkin."?

I tried checking it out on Google, but all I get are pages about Michelle Malkin. I really need to know what are the orgins of the name "Malkin" so that I can name a short story character it. My character is a Russian immigrant who works in a dress shop in London in the twenty-first century. Would that last name be appropirate for a Russian character?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: There is a hockey player on the Penguins team from Russia who has the last name Malkin-- but there is also a Scottish coat of arms for that name. If you check wikipedia under "Malkin" you'll get some other connotations of the word.

Whether or not the name is appropriate would depend on the character. When I see the name, I don't automatically think, "Gee, that person must be Russian." Do you want the character to be obviously of Russian descent or do you want the character to be more mysterious and have the Russian identity revealed later? Is the person a recent immigrant? The first name might be important as well. If you want to indicate that she's (I'll assume a she) trying to fit in, you might give her a English first name like Rose or Dollie or something (because she could choose the name she wants to be called) and a distinctive Russian surname (the legal name she'd have to use.)
There's a list with meanings of some common Russian surnames here:
http://www.veryrussian.net/2006/50-most-...

Good luck with your story!