Maelyn
A feminine name of Scottish origin meaning "the fair one".
Name Census estimates that about 2,285 living Americans carry the first name Maelyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maelyn today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maelyn births was 2024 (201 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maelyn. 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.
Key insights
- • Maelyn is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 11 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.3K
~ 1 in 150,002 Americans
Peak year
2024
201 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,185
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Maelyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maelyn from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,033 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maelyn 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 Maelyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Maelyns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 25 states and territories. Texas, North Carolina, California recorded the most babies named Maelyn, while Louisiana, Kansas, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 42 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Maelyn
The name Maelyn is believed to have its origins in the ancient Celtic languages of Britain and Ireland. It is thought to be derived from the Welsh word "mael," which means "prince" or "chief," combined with the diminutive suffix "-yn." This suggests that the name may have been used to refer to a young prince or the son of a ruler in the early medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Maelyn can be found in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional stories and legends dating back to the 9th century. In these texts, Maelyn is mentioned as the name of a legendary figure, though details about his life and exploits are scarce.
During the Middle Ages, the name Maelyn seems to have been particularly popular in Wales and the surrounding regions. It is occasionally found in historical records and documents from this period, though its usage was likely limited to certain noble or aristocratic families.
One notable individual bearing the name Maelyn was Maelyn ap Rhys, a Welsh prince who lived in the late 12th century. He was the son of Rhys ap Gruffydd, the Lord Rhys of Deheubarth, and played a significant role in the ongoing conflicts between the Welsh and the Norman invaders.
Another historical figure with this name was Maelyn de Penrhyn, a Welsh landowner and nobleman who lived in the 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the local community and was known for his involvement in various legal disputes and land transactions.
In the 15th century, there was a Maelyn Goch (meaning "Maelyn the Red"), who was a Welsh bard and poet. He is credited with composing several poems and songs that have been preserved in various manuscripts from the period.
It is worth noting that while the name Maelyn has its roots in the Celtic languages, it has also been adopted and adapted in other cultures and regions over time. However, its usage has remained relatively rare throughout history, and it is considered an uncommon name in most parts of the world today.
People
Maelyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maelyn 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
Maelyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maelyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,285 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maelyn 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 150,002 US residents.
Is Maelyn a common name?
We classify Maelyn as "Rare". It ranks above 94.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,306 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maelyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Maelyn was 2024, when 201 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maelyn is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maelyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maelyn 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.