Boy name · Scottish Gaelic
Malcolm
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: devotee of Saint ColumbaMalcolm is a boy's name that comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "devotee of Saint Columba". It is used in Scottish and English.
- Meaning
- Devotee of Saint Columba
- Origin
- Scottish Gaelic
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- MAL-kum (Scottish Gaelic)
Meaning and origin of Malcolm
As a boy's name, Malcolm comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "devotee of Saint Columba". It is used in Scottish and English.
In Scottish Gaelic, say MAL-kum. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Malcolm is also a surname: the 3,364th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 10,408 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Malcolm on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Malcolm on 4 lists.
“Devotee of Saint Columba; Scottish Gaelic. Four kings of Scotland”
From Classic boy names, classic Irish, Scottish and Welsh boy names
“Devotee of Saint Columba; Gaelic. Four medieval kings of Scots”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval Welsh, Irish and Scottish names
“Devotee of Saint Columba; borne by four Scottish kings. Say MAL-kum.”
From Scottish boy names, scottish kings, saints and heroes
“Gaelic Maol Choluim, devotee of Saint Columba”
From Scottish last names, highland clans without Mac
How popular is Malcolm?
- US rank in 2025
- #272
- 1,257 babies, 736 per million boys
- Best rank
- #205 in 1928
- Most babies: 1,495 in 1992
- Babies since 1880
- At least 70,209
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 191 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 294 per million |
| 1900s | 415 per million |
| 1910s | 533 per million |
| 1920s | 552 per million |
| 1930s | 509 per million |
| 1940s | 382 per million |
| 1950s | 282 per million |
| 1960s | 255 per million |
| 1970s | 233 per million |
| 1980s | 245 per million |
| 1990s | 517 per million |
| 2000s | 258 per million |
| 2010s | 378 per million |
| 2020s | 685 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #408 | #393 | #393 | #327 | #291 | #281 | #284 | #293 | #314 | #272 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names with a similar meaning
- SantiagoSaint James (Spanish, boy)
- MaloneDevotee of Saint John (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- SinclairFrom Saint-Clair (French, boy)
- TelmoFrom a Spanish name for Saint Elmo (Spanish, boy)
- ThiagoSaint James (Portuguese, boy)
- ÉlodieFrench form of Alodia, a saint's name of uncertain origin (Latin, girl)
- ErenSaint, holy person (Turkish, boy)
- KidistHoly, saint (Amharic, girl)
- MalachyDisciple of Saint Seachnall (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- MalinaDevotee of Saint Columba (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
Middle names for Malcolm
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Scottish Gaelic
- AngusOne strength (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- KennethAnglicized Coinneach, handsome, and Cináed, perhaps born of fire (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- BlairPlain, field (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- BowieYellow (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- CameronCrooked nose (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- CampbellCrooked mouth (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- ColinWhelp, young dog (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- CraigRock, crag (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DonaldWorld ruler (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DonnchadhBrown warrior (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
Malcolm: common questions
What does the name Malcolm mean?
Malcolm comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "devotee of Saint Columba".
Is Malcolm a boy or girl name?
Malcolm is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Malcolm come from?
Malcolm comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "devotee of Saint Columba". Today it is used in Scottish and English.
How do you pronounce Malcolm?
In Scottish Gaelic, say MAL-kum. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Malcolm?
Malcolm ranked #272 in the US in 2025, with 1,257 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Malcolm?
Middle names that flow well with Malcolm include Beau, Finn, Grant, Lane and Ray. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.