boy's name
Malo
ma-LOH
- Origin Breton
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 28,245
France
#22
2025 births
Malo is a boy's name of Breton origin, borne by the sixth-century saint who gave his name to Saint-Malo. It ranks twenty-second in France, and our records show it entering the data only in 2025 at its current level, making it one of the fastest recent risers.
- Malo is a name of Breton origin.
- Peaked in France in 2021, when 1,950 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 340 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1901.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Malo over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 10 |
| 1910s | 15 |
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 15 |
| 1960s | 25 |
| 1970s | 50 |
| 1980s | 130 |
| 1990s | 1,065 |
| 2000s | 5,550 |
| 2010s | 10,805 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 10,350 |
What Malo means
Malo is usually explained as "bright hostage" or "shining pledge," from Breton elements meaning bright and a pledge or hostage. The second element is the awkward one, and reference works differ on how literally to take it.
Where Malo comes from
Malo comes from the Breton personal name Machlou or Maclovius, borne by Saint Malo, one of the seven founding saints of Brittany. He was a sixth-century Welsh-born monk who crossed to Armorica and became bishop of Aleth, and the walled port city of Saint-Malo carries his name. The usual gloss combines a Celtic element meaning bright or shining with one meaning a pledge or hostage, a compound type common in early Celtic naming where a hostage meant a noble child fostered as surety. Some sites give an unrelated Hawaiian derivation meaning winner, which has nothing to do with the Breton name and appears to be a coincidence of spelling.
Malo in use
Malo ranks twenty-second in France with about 1,740 births in 2025, and its peak in our records is that same year, so it is still climbing. Like Maël it is part of the Breton revival that has moved regional Celtic names into general French use. It has not traveled: beyond 3,900 in England and Wales and beyond 7,400 in the United States.
How popular is Malo?
In 2025, Malo was given to 1,735 babies in France, ranking #22 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Malo is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Malo is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Malô | Malô is a rare spelling of Malo, written with a circumflex and recorded about 15 times, mostly in France. | 15 |
| Mâlo | Mâlo is a rare spelling of Malo, written with a circumflex and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
Names that peaked alongside Malo
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Malo also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Malo over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Malo in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Italian
- Melo
Sibling names for Malo
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Malo — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Malo
What does the name Malo mean?
Usually "bright hostage" or "shining pledge," from Breton elements, though the second part is disputed.
Is Malo connected to Saint-Malo?
Yes. The Breton city is named for Saint Malo, a sixth-century bishop of Aleth.
Does Malo mean winner?
Not in Breton. That gloss comes from an unrelated Hawaiian word that happens to share the spelling.
How popular is Malo?
Twenty-second in France, and its peak in our records is the most recent year we hold.
Is Malo a girl's or a boy's name?
Malo is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Malo?
Malo has 2 syllables.
Is Malo a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Malo currently ranks #22 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.