unisex name · in the US
Malone
ma-LOHN (French)
- Origin Irish
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 10,129
France
#200
2025 births
Malone is an Irish surname meaning descendant of a follower of Saint John, now used as a given name. It ranks 200th in France and nowhere else — it does not chart in Ireland at all, and sits 5,207th in the United States.
- Malone is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in France in 2020, when 855 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 2,105 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1992.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Malone Over Time
Births per decade in France, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 50 |
| 2000s | 1,260 |
| 2010s | 4,705 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,325 |
What Malone Means
Malone means descendant of a devotee of Saint John. The Irish original names a servant or follower of the saint rather than anyone called John.
Where Malone Comes From
Malone anglicizes the Irish Ó Maoil Eoin, in which maol means a tonsured one — a monk or devotee — and Eoin is the Irish John. The surname belonged to a family long associated with Clonmacnoise, the monastic settlement on the Shannon, where several Malones served as abbots. The maol element appears across Irish surnames in exactly this pattern: Malmurry for a follower of Mary, Mulligan and Malone among them. Its transfer to given-name use is recent and follows the general movement of Irish surnames into first-name position, a route that also carried Quinn, Cassidy and Riley.
Malone in Use
Malone ranks 200th in France on 290 births and reaches the top 200 in no other market. It does not chart in Ireland at all, despite the name being Irish, and it ranks 3,254th in England and Wales and 5,207th in the United States. It peaked in France in 2020, when 855 babies were registered, and is rising across 10,129 lifetime births, the great majority of them French.
How Popular Is Malone?
In 2025, Malone was given to 280 babies in France, ranking #200 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Malone 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 Malone Is Spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Malône | Malône is a rare spelling of Malone, written with a circumflex and recorded about 120 times, mostly in France. | 120 |
| Malöne | Malöne is a rare spelling of Malone, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
Names That Peaked Alongside Malone
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Malone Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Malone over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Malone is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- France Boys' 2% girls · 5,780 babies
- United States Both 54% girls · 318 babies
How to Say Malone
- French ma-LOHN /məˈloʊn/
1 nickname for Malone
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Sibling Names for Malone
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Malone — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Malone
What does the name Malone mean?
Descendant of a devotee of Saint John, from the Irish Ó Maoil Eoin.
Is Malone an Irish name?
The surname is Irish, from a family tied to Clonmacnoise. As a given name it is used in France, not in Ireland.
Where is Malone used as a first name?
France, where it ranks 200th. It sits 5,207th in the United States and does not chart in Ireland.
Is Malone a boy's or a girl's name?
Predominantly a boy's name on record, with a small share of girls.
How popular is the name Malone?
In 2025, Malone was given to 280 babies in France, ranking #200 that year. It is a rare choice.
How many syllables are in Malone?
Malone has 2 syllables.
When was Malone most popular?
Malone peaked in 2020, when 855 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Malone?
Malone is usually shortened to Mal.
Is Malone a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Malone currently ranks #200 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.