Bad or chief; also a diminutive of various names.
As a standalone name, Mal is often a short form of Malcolm (Gaelic for 'devotee of Saint Columba') or Mallory (French for 'unfortunate'). In Latin-based languages, the prefix 'mal' means 'bad' or 'evil,' though in some contexts it can be a shortened form of names like Marshall. It is currently very rare as a formal given name for boys in the United States.
Less common today
Mal isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #8,915 in 2025.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
Award-winning English children's novelist
Captain of the spaceship Serenity · Firefly
Road manager and personal assistant for the Beatles
Australian former world No. 2 tennis player
American jazz pianist and composer
