Malcolm
Pronounced M AE1 L K AH0 M (ARPABET)
- 2 syllables
- Peaked 1992
- 145 years in use
- 2 spellings
How popular is Malcolm?
Malcolm is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 74,943 children — the 377th most common boys' name on record.
It is gaining, with the past decade running 88% ahead of the one before it. Its best single year was 1992, when 1,681 children were given it.
Two other spellings are counted in that total — Malcom and Malcomb — because they are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Malcolm and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Malcom
- Malcomb
Characteristics
- Alliterative
- 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- M AE1 L K AH0 M
- Stress pattern:
- 10
- Syllables:
- 2
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Malcolm
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Malcolm
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Malcolm?
- Malcolm ranks 377th among boys' names in US records, with 74,943 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 10,677.
- Is Malcolm a unisex name?
- No. Malcolm is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Malcolm most popular?
- 1992, when 1,681 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- How else is Malcolm spelled?
- Malcom, Malcomb. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.