Boys' name · peaked in 1992
Malcolm name popularity since 1925
62,690 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Malcolm. Half of them were born in 1987 or earlier, so the typical Malcolm is about 39 years old in 2026. Malcolm peaked in 1992 as the #206 name for boys, and it ranked #272 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 62,690
- Named Malcolm, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #272
- for boys in 2025 (1,257 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.8% boys
- 109 girls · 62,581 boys
- Most popular in
- Maine
- 2.72× its national share
Peak year is the year Malcolm made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Malcolm births per year, 1925–2025
1992 was the biggest year for Malcolm both by count and as a share of all babies.
- Fastest rise: Between 1983 and 1988, Malcolm became 3.1× more common, from 1 in 8,110 baby boys to 1 in 2,590.
- Steepest fall: Between 1992 and 1997, its share of baby boys fell by 46%, from 1 in 1,340 to 1 in 2,460.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Malcolm's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Malcolm.
Decade by decade
Babies named Malcolm in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 25 | 3,123 | – |
| 1930s | 5 | 5,380 | #221 |
| 1940s | 5 | 5,681 | #255 |
| 1950s | 10 | 5,700 | #296 |
| 1960s | 0 | 4,907 | #305 |
| 1970s | 28 | 3,848 | #401 |
| 1980s | 24 | 4,527 | #434 |
| 1990s | 12 | 10,064 | #301 |
| 2000s | 0 | 5,145 | #540 |
| 2010s | 0 | 7,105 | #421 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 7,101 | #272 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
20.1% of babies named Malcolm from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Alpha years (2013–2025). The full split by generation:
Where Malcolm is most popular
The index compares Malcolm's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Malcolm.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Maine | 2.72× | 695 |
| Louisiana | 2.52× | 2,700 |
| District of Columbia | 2.51× | 690 |
| Mississippi | 2.31× | 1,669 |
| South Carolina | 1.74× | 1,452 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Malcolm's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Malcolm.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Malcolm (1992).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data