Maelin
A feminine name of Welsh origin meaning "kind and gentle".
Name Census estimates that about 293 living Americans carry the first name Maelin. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maelin today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maelin births was 2014 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maelin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
293
~ 1 in 1,169,810 Americans
Peak year
2014
21 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,721
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Maelin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maelin from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 139 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Maelin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maelin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Maelin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Maelin
The name Maelin is a unique and intriguing one, with roots that can be traced back to ancient Celtic cultures. Its origins lie in the Gaelic language, where it is believed to be a combination of the elements "mael" and "lín," which together translate to mean "tonsured warrior" or "bald fighter."
In the early medieval period, the name Maelin was prevalent among the Celtic tribes that inhabited the British Isles, particularly in regions like Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. It was a name often bestowed upon warriors and chieftains, as it carried connotations of strength, bravery, and resilience.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Maelin can be found in the ancient Irish annals, specifically in the Annals of Ulster, which date back to the 5th century AD. These annals mention a warrior named Maelin mac Báetáin, who was a prominent figure in the Kingdom of Dál Riata, an ancient Scottish kingdom located in modern-day Argyll.
Throughout the centuries, the name Maelin has been borne by several notable individuals. In the 8th century, there was Maelin mac Failbhe, a renowned Irish scholar and abbot of the monastery of Inishcaltra in County Clare. Another significant figure was Maelin Óg Ó Maoil Chonaire, a 14th-century Irish poet and bard who composed numerous works in the bardic tradition.
Moving forward in history, the name Maelin also found its way into the literary world. In the 19th century, there was Maelin Forbes, a Scottish author and playwright who was born in 1825 and is best known for her works such as "Pembroke: A Novel" and "Bridal Bells."
In the realm of science, Maelin Pickering, an American astronomer born in 1905, made significant contributions to the study of variable stars and the development of astronomical photometry techniques.
Lastly, Maelin Malkin, a Russian-born American artist and sculptor, who lived from 1923 to 2015, gained recognition for her abstract expressionist works and public art installations.
While the name Maelin may not be as widespread as some others, it carries a rich tapestry of history and cultural significance, reflecting the valor and creativity of those who have borne it throughout the ages.
People
Maelin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maelin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Maelin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maelin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 293 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maelin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,169,810 US residents.
Is Maelin a common name?
We classify Maelin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 296 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maelin most popular?
The single biggest year for Maelin was 2014, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maelin is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maelin a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maelin in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.