UK girl's name
Malvina
A feminine name of Latin origin, meaning "from the mallow plant".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Malvina is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Malvina popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4645, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 7 births.
This profile covers 38 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 2008 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 38 living people in the UK are called Malvina. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Malvina ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 7 girls were registered as Malvina.
- • About 38 living people in the UK are estimated to have Malvina as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4645
2022
Births in 2022
4
Latest year
Peak year
2012
7 births
Estimated living
38
2026
Meaning
What does Malvina mean?
The name Malvina has its origins in the Latin language, derived from the word "malva" which means "mallow," referring to a species of flowering plant. It is believed to have first appeared in Europe during the Middle Ages.
In the 18th century, the name gained popularity through James Macpherson's epic poem "The Poems of Ossian," where Malvina is portrayed as the daughter of a fictional Scottish bard. This literary work played a significant role in the romanticization of Scottish culture and helped establish the name's association with the Scottish Highlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malvina can be found in the writings of the French philosopher and historian Voltaire, who mentioned a character named Malvina in his 1768 work "La Princesse de Babylone." This reference further contributed to the name's recognition across Europe.
Among notable historical figures who bore the name Malvina, we can mention:
1. Malvina Hofmann (1889-1966), a Swedish actress and singer who gained fame in the early 20th century for her performances in operettas and films.
2. Malvina Garrigues (1835-1916), a French painter and sculptor who exhibited her works at the Paris Salon and is known for her portraits and genre scenes.
3. Malvina Reynoldsová (1900-1978), a Czech actress and singer who performed in numerous Czech films and theater productions during the interwar period and after World War II.
4. Malvina Longfellow (1830-1910), the wife of the renowned American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who played a significant role in her husband's literary career and served as his inspiration.
5. Malvina Hoffman (1887-1966), an American sculptor known for her sculptures of racial types commissioned for the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, as well as her portrayal of famous figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Booker T. Washington.
The name Malvina has maintained a presence throughout history, particularly in European countries, and has been associated with artistic and literary circles, reflecting its origins and the influence of the fictional character from "The Poems of Ossian."
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Malvina over time
The chart below shows babies named Malvina registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Malvina, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malvina by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Malvina 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 | #4640 | 8 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4666 | 22 | 5 |
| 2000s | #4544 | 8 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Malvina
- 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
Malvina: questions and answers
How popular is the name Malvina in the UK right now?
In 2022, Malvina was ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Malvina most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 7 babies registered as Malvina in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Malvina?
A feminine name of Latin origin, meaning "from the mallow plant".
How many people are called Malvina in the UK?
A total of 38 babies have been registered as Malvina across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.