How to say it
MAL · o · ry
/ˈmæl.ər.i/
Feminine
Mallory
Unlucky, ill-fated
What it means
A Norman French surname from malheure, 'unlucky' or 'ill-omened,' originally a teasing nickname.
Mallory began as a Norman French nickname, malheure, 'unlucky' or 'ill-fated,' the kind of wry name medieval scribes handed out. The meaning rarely troubles anyone now; the soft sound carries it. Sir Thomas Malory wrote Le Morte d'Arthur, and George Mallory vanished near Everest's summit. It turned popular as a girl's name in the 1980s, helped by Mallory Keaton on Family Ties. Mal is the short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #83 in 1986, currently #372 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Worth knowing
Honestly means 'unlucky' from a Norman nickname; the pleasant sound has long outrun the meaning.
- Pop culture
Mallory Keaton of Family Ties popularized it for girls in the 1980s.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Sir Thomas Malory author of Le Morte d'Arthur
- George Mallory mountaineer lost near the summit of Everest in 1924
Spelling variants
- Mallorie
- Malory
- Mallary
Names with the same feeling
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