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Home › Baby Names Directory › Mahlon

Mahlon

♂ Boy

Pronounced MAY-lən /ˈmeɪ.lən/High

Meaning: The first husband of Ruth in the Bible; traditionally glossed 'sickness, weakness', a reading scholars debateLow

In 30 seconds: The quiet husband whose death launched literature's loveliest loyalty: Mahlon was Ruth's first marriage — his traditional gloss ('sickness') is grim, debated, and thoroughly outlived by the name's gentle sound.
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Origin MediumHebrew
MeaningThe first husband of Ruth in the Bible; traditionally glossed 'sickness, weakness', a reading scholars debate
U.S. rank (2025)#2867 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births44 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1919
Total births (all-time)≈ 5,652

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191918802025

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Mahlon appears in the Book of Ruth as Naomi's son and Ruth's first husband, whose early death in Moab sets the story moving; the traditional etymology, 'sickness' or 'weakness', fits the narrative so neatly that scholars suspect literary shaping. Colonial and Quaker America used the name steadily — Mahlon Dickerson governed New Jersey.

Today it is a deep-vintage rarity with a soft modern sound (rhyming toward Waylon). The gloss stays in the footnotes; the gentleness travels.

Did you know? Everything beloved about the Book of Ruth — 'whither thou goest, I will go' — happens because Mahlon dies in chapter one; rarely has so passive a character enabled so much devotion.
Overall data confidence 68%
Behind the Name — Mahlon — etymology, debated

Variations

MahlanMaylon

Nicknames

MahLon

Famous Bearers

  • ★Mahlon Dickerson (1770–1853)
    American statesman, governor of New Jersey and Secretary of the Navy.

If you like Mahlon…

Waylon— the modern rhyme that makes Mahlon wearable
Boaz— Ruth's second husband — the sequel name
Obed— the son of Ruth's story, next in the line
Elon— shares the -on ending
Jadon— shares Mahlon's Hebrew roots

Explore names like Mahlon

By themehebrewbiblicalvintage

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Mahlon mean?

Mahlon is the name of Ruth's first husband in the Bible; the traditional gloss 'sickness' is debated and may be literary shaping.

How do you pronounce Mahlon?

It's said MAY-lən /ˈmeɪ.lən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Mahlon a boy or girl name?

Mahlon is a boy's name.

How popular is Mahlon?

Mahlon is a rare vintage biblical name in the U.S.

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