Malcoln
Masculine name derived from Scottish Gaelic meaning "disciple of St. Columba".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Malcoln. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Malcoln today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malcoln births was 1974 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malcoln. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Malcoln. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1974
7 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
1974 SSA rank
#4,451
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Malcoln: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Malcoln 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 Malcoln during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Malcoln
The name Malcoln is an anglicized variant of the Scottish Gaelic name Maoilcholuim, which is derived from the Gaelic elements "maol" meaning "tonsured" or "bald", and "Colum" referring to the 6th-century Irish saint Columba. The name Maoilcholuim essentially means "disciple of Columba".
This name has its origins in medieval Scotland, particularly among families with ties to the ancient Kingdom of Dalriada. It was a popular name among Scottish nobility and clans, reflecting their reverence for Saint Columba, who played a significant role in introducing Christianity to Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malcoln can be found in the 11th century, when Malcolm III, also known as Malcolm Canmore, reigned as King of Scots from 1058 to 1093. He was a crucial figure in Scottish history, having defeated the Normans and laid the foundations for the centralization of royal power in Scotland.
Another notable historical figure bearing the name Malcoln was Malcolm IV, who ruled as King of Scots from 1153 to 1165. He was known for his piety and his efforts to strengthen the Scottish church.
In the 13th century, Malcolm, Earl of Angus, was a prominent Scottish nobleman and military leader who played a key role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.
During the 16th century, Malcolm Fleming, a Scottish Protestant reformer and theologian, was a significant figure in the Scottish Reformation and a supporter of John Knox.
In the 17th century, Malcolm Flemyng, a Scottish soldier and writer, served as a mercenary in the Thirty Years' War and later wrote an account of his experiences titled "The Scots Soldier's Speech".
While the name Malcoln has its roots in Scottish history and culture, it has also been used in other parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, as a variant spelling or adaptation of the more common name Malcolm.
People
Malcoln + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malcoln 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
Malcoln: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malcoln?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malcoln 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Malcoln a common name?
We classify Malcoln as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malcoln most popular?
The single biggest year for Malcoln was 1974, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malcoln is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Malcoln in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Malcoln a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malcoln in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Malcoln still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Malcoln in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Malcoln can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Malcoln?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.