boys' name ★ peaked 1992

Malcom

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,775 Trend ↑ Rising 36%
Rank 2025
#1,775
among boys · ↓26 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
91
named Malcom · -4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 18,770
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1992
186 babies
All-time total
5,864
#1,614 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Malcom popularity over time

5,864 babies have been named Malcom 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
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1992Boys

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 27 3 – #853
1890s 25 3 -7% #833
1900s 35 4 +40% #932
1910s 242 24 +591% #911
1920s 430 43 +78% #933
1930s 332 33 -23% #975
1940s 298 30 -10% #1,121
1950s 529 53 +78% #939
1960s 449 45 -15% #887
1970s 348 35 -22% #1,278
1980s 492 49 +41% #989
1990s 1,130 113 +130% #767
2000s 554 55 -51% #1,781
2010s 459 46 -17% #1,879
2020s (to 2025) 514 86 +87% #1,749

Where Malcom is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 97 0.06 outside top 500
2027 103 0.06 outside top 500
2028 108 0.06 outside top 500
2029 112 0.07 outside top 500
2030 116 0.07 outside top 500

Where Malcom is most popular

Boys named Malcom per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.050 per 1,000. Strongest in Iowa, Indiana, and Texas.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Malcom born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Iowa 11 0.160 +218%
Indiana 13 0.081 +62%
Texas 41 0.047 -7%
Wisconsin 5 0.042 -16%
Ohio 11 0.042 -17%
Washington 6 0.037 -27%
Florida 15 0.032 -37%
Tennessee 5 0.028 -45%
California 25 0.027 -45%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
New York – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Malcom

Malcom is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,775 in 2025 with 91 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 5,864 American babies have been named Malcom. Its peak came in 1992, when 186 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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 Malcom stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Malcom?

The median living Malcom is about 33 years old; half are between 18 and 52. An estimated 4,400 people named Malcom are alive in the United States today.

median 33 020406080100

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

Malcom year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 91 #1,775
2024 95 #1,749
2023 90 #1,797
2022 83 #1,902
2021 74 #2,020
2020 81 #1,840
2019 80 #1,879
2018 48 #2,628
2017 39 #3,049
2016 39 #3,041
2015 49 #2,552
2014 26 #3,973
2013 40 #2,880
2012 44 #2,748
2011 49 #2,534
2010 45 #2,713
2009 30 #3,606
2008 58 #2,282
2007 63 #2,156
2006 59 #2,198
2005 47 #2,454
2004 61 #1,983
2003 50 #2,194
2002 65 #1,781
2001 62 #1,808
2000 59 #1,826
1995 82 #1,304
1990 137 #880
1985 34 #1,779
1980 23 #2,259
1975 28 #1,771
1970 37 #1,389
1965 69 #887
1960 54 #1,052
1955 57 #998
1950 42 #1,098
1945 31 #1,196
1940 35 #1,122
1935 32 #1,180
1930 40 #1,106
1925 43 #1,063
1920 48 #997
1915 28 #1,256
1910 13 #911
1905 6 #1,181
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 5 #1,031
1880 5 #1,008

Famous people named Malcom

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

  1. 1 Malcom Malcom Brazilian footballer (born 1997) Contemporary
  2. 2 Malcom McLean Malcom McLean Transport entrepreneur who developed the modern intermodal shipping container 1913–2001 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Malcom?

The median living Malcom is about 33 years old. Half of all living Malcoms are between 18 and 52 years old.

How many people named Malcom are alive today?

An estimated 4,400 people named Malcom are alive in the United States, based on 5,864 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Malcom in 2025?

Malcom ranked #1,775 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 91 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Malcom?

5,864 babies have been named Malcom in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Malcom most popular?

Malcom peaked in 1992, when 186 newborns received the name.

Is Malcom a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Malcom rising or falling?

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

Will Malcom become more popular?

Malcom is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 116 boys named Malcom in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Malcom?

Well-known people named Malcom include Malcom (soccer player), Malcom McLean (businessperson).

Names like Malcom

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

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