Mal
Below 5 births
2025 SSA
About Mal
Mal is a versatile feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In French, it derives from names like Malorie or Mallory, while in Irish it connects to Máire or Molly. In Vietnamese, Mal (often spelled Mai) means 'golden flower' or 'apricot blossom.' This short, punchy name gained some recognition through fictional characters, including in Disney's 'Descendants' franchise. Its brevity gives it a modern, minimalist appeal that contrasts with longer traditional names. Though uncommon as a standalone name, Mal's simplicity and cross-cultural flexibility make it appealing to parents seeking something brief yet distinctive. The name projects confidence through its concise sound while maintaining versatility as it can represent different meanings depending on cultural context.
Mal for boys#9403 US
A nickname for Malcolm that at one point ranked independently on the US Top 1000. It still exists as an affectionate pet form, but you’re unlikely to hear a Malcolm introduce himself as Mal.
Pronounced MAL.
As of October 2026, Mal ranked #9403 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #785 in 1880.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |
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Mal on lists
Famous Mals
- Mallory Diane "Mal" PughGirl
American soccer player
- Mal mac RochrideBoy
2nd century Irish king
- Malvin Greston "Mal" WhitfieldBoy
American track athlete
- Malcolm Thomas "Mal" BroughBoy
Australian politician
- Malcolm Charles "Mal" PeetBoy
English children's novelist
- Malcolm Frederick "Mal" EvansBoy
English roadie and friend of the Beatles
- Malcolm James "Mal" WasherBoy
Australian politician
- Malcolm Earl "Mal" WaldronBoy
American jazz pianist
- Malcolm James "Mal" AndersonBoy
Australian tennis player
- MaliVai "Mal" WashingtonBoy
American tennis player
Mal in pop culture
- Mallorie "Mal" CobbGirl
character in the movie "Inception"
- Mal BerthaGirl
daughter of Maleficent in Disney's "Descendants"
- Malcolm "Mal" ReynoldsBoy
character in TV's "Firefly"
- MALBoy
Dr. Blight's evil supercomputer in the Captain Planet and the Planeteers series
- Malcolm Arnold "Mal" Duncan aka VoxBoy
a DC Comics character
- MalBoy
Latin prefix meaning "bad"