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Mallory

♀ Girl

Pronounced MAL-oh-ree /ˈmæl.ɔː.ri/High

Meaning: From the Old French 'malheure' or Norman 'malorie', meaning 'unlucky' or 'ill-omened' — an unusual surname used as a given name, with origins in a word meaning misfortune.High

In 30 seconds: Mallory has one of the most surprisingly negative etymologies in American naming — it means 'unlucky' in Old French. Yet it became a fashionable name in the 1980s, proving that great names can transcend their literal meanings.
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Origin HighOld French, Norman
MeaningFrom the Old French 'malheure' or Norman 'malorie', meaning 'unlucky' or 'ill-omened' — an unusual surname used as a given name, with origins in a word meaning misfortune.
U.S. rank (2025)#372 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births825 girls (0.05% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1986
Total births (all-time)≈ 59,038

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198619382025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Mallory derives from the Old French and Norman word malheurus or malorie, meaning unhappy, unlucky, or unfortunate — from mal (bad) and heur (luck, omen). It became a hereditary French and English surname for families, completely detached from any negative meaning in daily use. Sir Thomas Malory, the fifteenth-century author of Le Morte d'Arthur, is the most famous historical bearer.

Mallory became a fashionable given name for girls in the United States in the 1980s, partly through the television series Family Ties (1982–1989), in which Mallory Keaton was a main character. The name peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s and has remained in the top 500 girls' names. Parents consistently choose it for its sound rather than its literal meaning, which is rarely considered.

Did you know? Sir Thomas Malory (c. 1415–1471), the author of Le Morte d'Arthur — the definitive English compilation of Arthurian legend — bears the same surname, giving the name Mallory an indirect connection to one of the greatest works of medieval English literature.
Overall data confidence 88%
Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames — Old French malheurus and Norman Mallory etymologySocial Security Administration Name Data — US popularity peak and television influence

Variations

MaloryMallorie

Nicknames

MalMollyLori

Famous Bearers

  • ★Mallory Keaton (fictional) (1982–1989)
    Character on the television series Family Ties, played by Justine Bateman, who influenced the name's 1980s popularity.

If you like Mallory…

Marley— three-syllable surname name with the same warm, slightly vintage American feminine quality
Meridith— three-syllable surname-style name with the same 1980s American popularity trajectory
Ramona— three-syllable feminine name with the same unexpected literary charm and slightly vintage character

Frequently Asked

What does the name Mallory mean?

Mallory means 'unlucky' or 'ill-omened', from Old French malorie — an unusual origin for a well-loved name.

How do you pronounce Mallory?

Mallory is pronounced MAL-oh-ree (/ˈmæl.ɔː.ri/), three syllables with stress on the first.

Is Mallory a boy or girl name?

Mallory is used predominantly as a girl's name in the United States.

How popular is Mallory?

Mallory was in the US top 200 girls' names in the late 1980s and 1990s and remains in the top 500.