UK name, mostly girls
Mallory
A feminine name derived from the French surname Mallory, meaning "unfortunate" or "unhappy".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mallory is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Mallory popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1097, with 31 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 35 births.
This profile covers 311 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 89% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 317 living people in the UK are called Mallory. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mallory ranked #1097 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 31 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 35 girls were registered as Mallory.
- • Mallory ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #544 in 2020.
- • About 317 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mallory as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 96.3% of Mallory registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1097
2024
Births in 2024
31
Latest year
Peak year
2022
35 births
Estimated living
317
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Mallory
In England and Wales birth records, Mallory has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 3.7% of registrations are for boys and 96.3% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Mallory registered for boys
- Ranked #4,107 in 2023
- 4 boys registered in 2023
- Peak: 2005 (4 births)
Mallory registered for girls
- Ranked #1,097 in 2024
- 31 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (35 births)
Meaning
What does Mallory mean?
The name Mallory is believed to have originated from the Old French surname "Malore" or "Mallore", which was derived from the Latin name "Malus Operarius", meaning "bad worker" or "poor worker". This surname eventually evolved into the given name Mallory.
The earliest recorded use of the name Mallory dates back to the 12th century in England. It is thought to have been initially used as a derogatory term for someone who was perceived as a poor or lazy worker. However, over time, it transitioned into a respectable given name.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Mallory was Sir Thomas Mallory, an English writer who lived between approximately 1405 and 1471. He is best known for compiling and translating the iconic collection of tales known as "Le Morte d'Arthur", which chronicles the legendary adventures of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Another significant figure bearing the name Mallory was George Mallory, an English mountaineer and explorer who lived from 1886 to 1924. He was part of the early British expeditions to Mount Everest in the 1920s and is famously remembered for his attempt to be the first person to reach the summit of the world's highest peak.
In the field of literature, Amelia Mallory, an American novelist born in 1892, gained recognition for her works of historical fiction, including "The Eternal Hills" and "The Woods Calf". She was renowned for her vivid depictions of life in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri.
Moving to the realm of sports, Douglas Mallory, born in 1892, was a talented American tennis player. He achieved remarkable success in the early 20th century, winning multiple Grand Slam titles, including the U.S. National Championships (now known as the US Open) in both singles and doubles events.
Lastly, Mallory Weggemann, born in 1989, is a contemporary American Paralympic swimmer and motivational speaker. Despite becoming paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 18, she has overcome immense challenges and represented the United States in multiple Paralympic Games, winning multiple gold and bronze medals.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mallory over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Mallory in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mallory, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 31 births in 2024, compared with 35 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mallory by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mallory was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1235 | 139 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2693 | 104 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3324 | 44 | 8 |
| 1990s | #2444 | 24 | 4 |
Geography
Where Mallory is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mallory. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Mallory ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #544 in 2020.
Across the UK
Mallory in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#544 in 2020
2 years of NRS records, 8 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Mallory
-
Mallory Franklin
canoeist
British slalom canoeist
1994-
Related
Names similar to Mallory
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Mallory: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mallory in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mallory was ranked #1097 for girls in England and Wales, with 31 births registered.
When was Mallory most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 35 babies registered as Mallory in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mallory?
A feminine name derived from the French surname Mallory, meaning "unfortunate" or "unhappy".
How many people are called Mallory in the UK?
A total of 311 babies have been registered as Mallory across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 8 more in Scotland.
Where is Mallory most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mallory ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #544 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.