Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1950

Mal

Meaning A short form of given names such as Mallory, Malcolm etc Gender Boy Rank 2025 #9,403

A short form of given names such as Mallory, Malcolm etc.

Rank 2025
#9,403
among boys · ↑2,434 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
8
named Mal
How common
1 in 213,510
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1950
13 babies
All-time total
343
#9,858 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Mal popularity over time

343 babies have been named Mal since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1880Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 12 1 – #785
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 30 3 – #2,169
1920s 16 2 -47% #3,806
1930s 42 4 +163% #2,421
1940s 69 7 +64% #2,588
1950s 84 8 +22% #2,163
1960s 39 4 -54% #3,151
1970s – – – –
1980s – – – –
1990s – – – –
2000s 5 1 – #13,831
2010s 12 1 +140% #10,421
2020s (to 2025) 34 6 +372% #9,403

The story of Mal

Mal is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #9,403 in 2025 with 8 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 343 American babies have been named Mal. Its peak came in 1950, when 13 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Mal stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Mal?

The median living Mal is about 67 years old; half are between 17 and 75. An estimated 200 people named Mal are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Mal year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 8 #9,403
2024 6 #11,837
2023 – –
2022 7 #10,464
2021 6 #11,629
2020 7 #10,199
2019 7 #10,421
2018 – –
2017 – –
2016 – –
2015 – –
2014 – –
2013 – –
2012 5 #13,485
2011 – –
2010 – –
2009 – –
2008 5 #13,831
2007 – –
2006 – –
2005 – –
2004 – –
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 – –
1995 – –
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 5 #4,391
1955 5 #4,194
1950 13 #2,163
1945 5 #3,602
1940 6 #3,337
1935 6 #3,500
1930 7 #3,480
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 7 #3,267
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 7 #785

Famous people named Mal

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Mal Evans Mal Evans English road manager (1935–1976) Contemporary
  2. 2 Mal Donaghy Northern Irish footballer b. 1957 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Malú Malú Spanish flamenco singer b. 1982 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Mal Anderson Mal Anderson Australian tennis player (1935–2026) Contemporary
  5. 5 Mal Whitfield Mal Whitfield Tuskegee Airman and US Olympic athlete 1924–2015) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Mal, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Mal?

The median living Mal is about 67 years old. Half of all living Mals are between 17 and 75 years old.

How many people named Mal are alive today?

An estimated 200 people named Mal are alive in the United States, based on 343 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Mal mean?

A short form of given names such as Mallory, Malcolm etc.

How popular is the name Mal in 2025?

Mal ranked #9,403 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 8 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Mal?

343 babies have been named Mal in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Mal most popular?

Mal peaked in 1950, when 13 newborns received the name.

Is Mal a boy or girl name?

Mal is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Mal rising or falling?

Mal is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Mal?

Well-known people named Mal include Mal Evans (engineer), Mal Donaghy (soccer player), Malú (singer).

Names like Mal

Names that sound and feel close to Mal: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Mal with similar names → More names starting with M →