Malory
An English feminine name probably derived from the French surname meaning "unlucky" or "ill-fated".
Name Census estimates that about 1,344 living Americans carry the first name Malory. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Malory today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malory births was 1987 (85 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malory. 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
1.3K
~ 1 in 255,026 Americans
Peak year
1987
85 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,801
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Malory: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Malory from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 441 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malory 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 Malory during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Malorys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Malory, while Utah, Minnesota, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Malory
The given name Malory has its origins in the Old French language, emerging in the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Germanic name Mahalrich, which is composed of the elements "mahal" meaning "assembly" and "ric" meaning "ruler" or "powerful." The name likely evolved from this root through the Old French form "Maalor."
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Thomas Malory, an English writer best known for his influential work Le Morte d'Arthur, a compilation of tales about the legendary King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Born around 1415, Malory's work is considered one of the most significant sources for Arthurian legend and has had a profound impact on literature and storytelling throughout the ages.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Malory Blackwell, an English mathematician and astronomer, made significant contributions to the study of celestial bodies. Born in 1543, Blackwell's precise observations and calculations helped advance scientific understanding during the Renaissance period.
During the 17th century, Malory Townsend, a British soldier and explorer, gained recognition for his expeditions and travels throughout the American colonies. Born in 1632, Townsend's accounts of his journeys provided valuable insights into the landscapes and indigenous populations of the New World.
In the realm of the arts, Malory Fairchild, an American sculptor and painter, left a lasting legacy with her intricate and expressive works. Born in 1892, Fairchild's sculptures and paintings often depicted scenes from nature and captured the essence of the human form with remarkable detail and emotion.
Another notable bearer of the name was Malory Whitaker, an English writer and historian who lived from 1895 to 1968. Whitaker's extensive research and scholarly works on medieval history and literature contributed significantly to our understanding of that era, shedding light on the cultural and societal context of the time.
People
Malory + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malory 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
Malory: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malory?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,344 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malory 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 255,026 US residents.
Is Malory a common name?
We classify Malory as "Rare". It ranks above 91.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,385 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malory most popular?
The single biggest year for Malory was 1987, when 85 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malory is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Malory a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malory 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.