Boy nameCurrently #314 in the USRising
Malcolm
MAL-kum//ˈmælkəm//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19927 lettersStarts with M
Meaning & origin
Devotee of Saint Columba
Malcolm comes from the Scottish Gaelic 'Máel Coluim', meaning 'devotee of Saint Columba', and was borne by several kings of Scotland. Its dignified, historic strength is also carried in the legacy of civil rights leader Malcolm X.
Malcolm's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Malcolm |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 18 |
| 1881 | 17 |
| 1882 | 20 |
| 1883 | 23 |
| 1884 | 18 |
| 1885 | 14 |
| 1886 | 25 |
| 1887 | 21 |
| 1888 | 26 |
| 1889 | 27 |
| 1890 | 27 |
| 1891 | 31 |
| 1892 | 30 |
| 1893 | 27 |
| 1894 | 34 |
| 1895 | 33 |
| 1896 | 48 |
| 1897 | 30 |
| 1898 | 40 |
| 1899 | 35 |
| 1900 | 55 |
| 1901 | 35 |
| 1902 | 52 |
| 1903 | 48 |
| 1904 | 46 |
| 1905 | 65 |
| 1906 | 48 |
| 1907 | 54 |
| 1908 | 78 |
| 1909 | 83 |
| 1910 | 86 |
| 1911 | 140 |
| 1912 | 233 |
| 1913 | 293 |
| 1914 | 317 |
| 1915 | 464 |
| 1916 | 476 |
| 1917 | 544 |
| 1918 | 508 |
| 1919 | 504 |
| 1920 | 556 |
| 1921 | 599 |
| 1922 | 548 |
| 1923 | 623 |
| 1924 | 639 |
| 1925 | 627 |
| 1926 | 629 |
| 1927 | 622 |
| 1928 | 666 |
| 1929 | 604 |
| 1930 | 558 |
| 1931 | 589 |
| 1932 | 572 |
| 1933 | 525 |
| 1934 | 499 |
| 1935 | 545 |
| 1936 | 531 |
| 1937 | 502 |
| 1938 | 542 |
| 1939 | 522 |
| 1940 | 548 |
| 1941 | 497 |
| 1942 | 577 |
| 1943 | 678 |
| 1944 | 549 |
| 1945 | 511 |
| 1946 | 626 |
| 1947 | 630 |
| 1948 | 549 |
| 1949 | 520 |
| 1950 | 540 |
| 1951 | 593 |
| 1952 | 602 |
| 1953 | 551 |
| 1954 | 597 |
| 1955 | 593 |
| 1956 | 569 |
| 1957 | 562 |
| 1958 | 603 |
| 1959 | 501 |
| 1960 | 545 |
| 1961 | 525 |
| 1962 | 520 |
| 1963 | 485 |
| 1964 | 472 |
| 1965 | 614 |
| 1966 | 453 |
| 1967 | 430 |
| 1968 | 421 |
| 1969 | 441 |
| 1970 | 542 |
| 1971 | 525 |
| 1972 | 456 |
| 1973 | 395 |
| 1974 | 337 |
| 1975 | 367 |
| 1976 | 338 |
| 1977 | 326 |
| 1978 | 296 |
| 1979 | 295 |
| 1980 | 261 |
| 1981 | 275 |
| 1982 | 300 |
| 1983 | 222 |
| 1984 | 279 |
| 1985 | 386 |
| 1986 | 536 |
| 1987 | 638 |
| 1988 | 751 |
| 1989 | 905 |
| 1990 | 1,163 |
| 1991 | 1,306 |
| 1992 | 1,495 |
| 1993 | 1,224 |
| 1994 | 979 |
| 1995 | 887 |
| 1996 | 841 |
| 1997 | 766 |
| 1998 | 702 |
| 1999 | 712 |
| 2000 | 715 |
| 2001 | 614 |
| 2002 | 582 |
| 2003 | 507 |
| 2004 | 444 |
| 2005 | 448 |
| 2006 | 468 |
| 2007 | 453 |
| 2008 | 482 |
| 2009 | 432 |
| 2010 | 496 |
| 2011 | 524 |
| 2012 | 585 |
| 2013 | 649 |
| 2014 | 682 |
| 2015 | 741 |
| 2016 | 784 |
| 2017 | 814 |
| 2018 | 804 |
| 2019 | 1,022 |
| 2020 | 1,170 |
| 2021 | 1,228 |
| 2022 | 1,219 |
| 2023 | 1,131 |
| 2024 | 1,088 |
Malcolm through the decades
- Malcolm peaked in 1992, when 1,495 babies were named Malcolm in the US.
- The 2020s were Malcolm's strongest decade, averaging 1,167 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Malcolm has risen 92% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Malcolm currently ranks #314 in the US and is on the rise.
Nicknames
Mal
Variants & spellings
Máel Coluim
Famous people named Malcolm
- Malcolm X — civil rights leader