Malcolm

“Devotee of Saint Columba” — Scottish Gaelic origin

Boy's name · #272 in the US (2025) · Trending

Malcolm is moving up the charts. First recorded in 1880, it stood at #272 in 2025; about 70,000 boys have been named Malcolm along the way. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Around the world: about 1 in 800 boys in Canada (2024) · about 1 in 1,600 boys in Scotland (2025) · about 1 in 3,100 boys in Sweden (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 48 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Malcolms

Malcolm X — American Black rights activist (1925–1965)
Malcolm McDowell — British actor (born 1943)
Malcolm Turnbull — Prime Minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018
Malcolm Fraser — Australian politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Australia (1930-2015)
Malcolm III of Scotland — King of Scotland from 1058 to 1093

In stories & tradition

Malcolm Reed — A Choice of Futures · Broken Bow
Malcolm Reynolds — Firefly · Serenity
Malcolm McDuck — Donald Duck Family Tree

What Malcolms become

Among 1,519 notable people named Malcolm:

Sports figures appear 1.39× more often than among typical names — e.g. Malcolm Glazer, American businessman, sports franchise owner (1928–2014).

Similar names: Malcom · Warren · Malakai · Dallas · Marvin · Leland

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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