Malcolm first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Malcolm has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Malcolm

A masculine Scottish name meaning "disciple of St. Columba".

Popularity of Malcolm by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Malcolm is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Malcolm being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 1,128 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Malcolm.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 1,128 0
2022 1,211 0
2021 1,225 0
2020 1,168 0
2019 1,019 0
2018 804 0
2017 813 0
2016 783 0
2015 740 0
2014 682 0
2013 649 0
2012 584 0
2011 524 0
2010 496 0
2009 432 0
2008 482 0
2007 453 0
2006 468 0
2005 448 0
2004 444 0
2003 507 0
2002 582 0
2001 614 0
2000 715 0
1999 712 0
1998 702 0
1997 766 0
1996 841 0
1995 888 0
1994 979 0
1993 1,224 0
1992 1,495 0
1991 1,299 7
1990 1,158 5
1989 905 0
1988 740 11
1987 633 5
1986 528 8
1985 386 0
1984 280 0
1983 222 0
1982 300 0
1981 275 0
1980 261 0
1979 290 5
1978 296 0
1977 326 0
1976 337 0
1975 367 0
1974 337 0

The history of the first name Malcolm

The name Malcolm has its origins in the Gaelic language and culture of Scotland. It is derived from the Old Irish name Máel Coluim, which is a combination of the Gaelic words 'máel' meaning 'disciple' or 'tonsured one' and 'Colum' referring to the famous Saint Columba, the missionary who introduced Christianity to Scotland in the 6th century AD.

The name gained prominence in Scotland during the Middle Ages, particularly with the reign of King Malcolm III, also known as Malcolm Canmore (reigned 1058-1093). He played a significant role in the historical events surrounding the Norman conquest of England and the subsequent consolidation of Scottish independence.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative composed in Iceland in the early 13th century, which mentions a Norwegian earl named Malcolm who ruled over the Orkney Islands in the 11th century.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the name Malcolm. One of the most famous was Malcolm X (1925-1965), an influential African-American leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam and the civil rights movement in the United States.

Another well-known Malcolm was Sir Malcolm Campbell (1885-1948), a British racing motorist and motoring pioneer who set numerous land and water speed records during the 1920s and 1930s.

In literature, Malcolm Lowry (1909-1957) was a renowned English novelist best known for his novel "Under the Volcano," which is considered a seminal work of the 20th century.

The name also appears in the realm of science, with Malcolm Longair (born 1941), a prominent British astrophysicist and author of several influential textbooks on cosmology and astrophysics.

Lastly, Malcolm Gladwell (born 1963) is a Canadian journalist, author, and public speaker, famous for his books exploring the unexpected implications of research in the social sciences, such as "The Tipping Point" and "Outliers."

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Malcolm was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Malcolm, please contact us.

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"Malcolm first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/malcolm-meaning-and-history/.

"Malcolm first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/malcolm-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Malcolm first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/malcolm-meaning-and-history/.

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