Given name & surname · also Hindi, Irish
Mal
“a chief”·“of the gardens”·“a messenger of God”
Mal is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a chief”, “of the gardens”, and “a messenger of God”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a chief”, “of the gardens”, and “a messenger of God”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Irish, Hindi, and Hebrew naming traditions.
How it developed
In English usage, Mal is a short form of Mallory. In English usage, Mal is a short form of Malcolm.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Mal is a short form of Mallory. The history of Mallory gives this family its wider story. Mallory’s naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Mal through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 343
- 343 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1950
- 13 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #9,403 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,403 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 13 in 1950. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,716 as a first name in 2020; 415 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Mal’s family of names
In English usage, Mal is a short form of Mallory. Mal has a related form in Mary. In English usage, Mal is a short form of Malcolm.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Mal
- Mal AndersonAustralian tennis player (1935–2026)
- Mal WaldronAmerican jazz pianist and composer (1925–2002)
- Mal mac RochrideLegendary High King of Ireland
- Mal BairdAustralian hurdlerborn 1948
- Mal PeetEnglish children's writer1947–2015
- Mal BroughAustralian politician (1961-)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Mal, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Adlai
“God is just” · “The Lord is just; an orna-i ment”
75% boys · 25% girls
Artis
“lofty hill; noble” · “rock”
94% boys · 6% girls
Zan
“one who offers support and praise” · “a well-fed man”
>99% boys
Avon
“of the river”
>99% boys
Gale
“a foreigner” · “one who is cheerful”
85% boys · 15% girls
Dirk
“the ruler of the tribe”
>99% boys
Doran
“exile, wanderer” · “a stranger; one who has been exiled”
>99% boys
Karan
“one who is pure; chaste”
>99% boys