Malkom
A masculine English form of Malcolm derived from the Gaelic name meaning "disciple of Saint Columba".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Malkom. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Malkom today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malkom births was 2022 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malkom. 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 Malkom. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2022
6 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#11,760
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Malkom: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Malkom 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 Malkom during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Malkom
The name Malkom originated from the Old Norse language, derived from the word "mál" meaning "speech" or "agreement," and "hólmr" meaning "island" or "riverbank." It is believed to have first emerged during the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries AD, in the regions of Scandinavia and parts of modern-day England and Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malkom can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives written in the 13th and 14th centuries. The name appears in the Saga of Burnt Njal, which chronicles events from the late 10th century in Iceland. In this saga, Malkom is mentioned as a prominent farmer and chieftain.
During the Middle Ages, the name Malkom gained popularity among the Norse communities in the British Isles. It is recorded in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book lists several landowners with the name Malkom across various English counties.
One notable historical figure named Malkom was Malkom III, King of Scotland from 1058 to 1093. He played a significant role in the consolidation of Scottish power and the establishment of the House of Dunkeld, a royal dynasty that ruled Scotland for several generations.
In the 12th century, Malkom Canmore, the son of King Duncan I of Scotland, was a prominent figure in the struggle for the Scottish throne. He fought against the usurper Macbeth and was eventually crowned King of Scots in 1057.
Another historical figure was Malkom IV, King of Scotland from 1153 to 1165. He was known as "Malkom the Maiden" due to his virtuous nature and unwavering commitment to justice and peace during his reign.
In the literary realm, Malkom appears as a character in the Arthurian legends, particularly in the French medieval poem "Perceval, the Story of the Grail" written by Chrétien de Troyes in the late 12th century. In this work, Malkom is portrayed as a wise and noble knight of King Arthur's court.
While the name Malkom has its roots in ancient Norse culture, it has endured over the centuries and has been adopted by various cultures and societies across Europe and beyond. Its historical significance and literary representations have contributed to its enduring legacy as a given name.
People
Malkom + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malkom 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
Malkom: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malkom?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malkom 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 Malkom a common name?
We classify Malkom 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, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malkom most popular?
The single biggest year for Malkom was 2022, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malkom is about 4 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 Malkom in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Malkom a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malkom 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 Malkom still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Malkom 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 Malkom 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 are called Malkom?
You can see how many people share the name Malkom on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.