Malcolm is a distinctive choice, ranked #1307 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Malcolm in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#1307
US Rank #272
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About the Name Malcolm
Malcolm has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 200 places in five years. It was most popular in 1996 at #472 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Malcolm is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Malcolm in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #314, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Malcolm
Malcolm H. Kerr — Malcolm Hooper Kerr was a Lebanese-born American university professor specializing in the Middle East and the Arab world.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner — Malcolm-Jamal Warner was an American actor, musician and poet.
Malcolm Walker (businessman) — Sir Malcolm Conrad Walker is an English businessman who is the founder of Iceland Foods Ltd.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Malcolm
Unlikely. With around 21 UK babies named Malcolm per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Malcolm in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Malcolm is declining: down 345 places since 2020, to #1,307 in 2025. It peaked at #472 in 1996.
Malcolm is more popular in the US (#314) than in the UK (#1162). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Malcolm include: Malcolm Walker (businessman), Malcolm Turnbull and Malcolm McDowell. Short summaries for each appear below.
Malcolm appears in the US top 500 at #314 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
21
UK babies named Malcolm (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 345 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Malcolm
Almost certainly the only Malcolm in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Malcolm
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian former politician, businessman and barrister who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018.
Malcolm X was an African American revolutionary and Black nationalist leader who rose from a background of poverty, family disruption, and criminal activity to a prominent figure during the civil rights movement until his assassination in 1965.