Maleny
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from Spanish words meaning "bad vineyard".
Name Census estimates that about 522 living Americans carry the first name Maleny. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maleny today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maleny births was 1993 (58 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maleny. 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
522
~ 1 in 656,618 Americans
Peak year
1993
58 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,800
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Maleny: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maleny from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 176 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Maleny remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maleny 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 Maleny during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Malenys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Maleny
The name Maleny has its origins in the Czech language and culture, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old Czech word "malena," meaning "small" or "little one." The name was initially used as a diminutive or pet name for children, particularly girls.
In the 14th century, the name Maleny was mentioned in several Czech literary works, such as the epic poem "Libušin soud" by Václav Hanka. It was also found in historical records and church documents from various regions of present-day Czech Republic and Slovakia.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Maleny was a noblewoman named Maleny of Rosice, who lived in the late 13th century. She was known for her charitable works and her support for the construction of a local church in the town of Rosice.
In the 16th century, Maleny Komenský (1592-1670) was a prominent Czech educator and philosopher. He is best known for his innovative teaching methods and his advocacy for universal education. His works, such as "Didactica Magna" and "Orbis Pictus," had a significant influence on the field of education.
Another notable figure was Maleny Novotná (1904-1976), a Czech tennis player who won multiple Grand Slam titles in the 1920s and 1930s. She was one of the dominant players of her era and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986.
During the 19th century, the name Maleny gained popularity among Czech immigrants who settled in various parts of the United States. One such individual was Maleny Beneš (1868-1948), a Czech-American educator and author who wrote several books on Czech language and culture.
In the 20th century, Maleny Maxová (1923-2012) was a renowned Czech actress and singer. She appeared in numerous films and theatrical productions and was widely celebrated for her talent and stage presence.
While the name Maleny has Czech roots, it has also been adopted in various other cultures and languages over time, with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. However, its origins can be traced back to the Czech language and its meaning of "small" or "little one."
People
Maleny + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maleny 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
Maleny: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maleny?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 522 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maleny 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 656,618 US residents.
Is Maleny a common name?
We classify Maleny as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 531 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maleny most popular?
The single biggest year for Maleny was 1993, when 58 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maleny is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maleny a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maleny 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.