Mahlon
Mahlon was given to 44 boys in 2025, #2,866 among boys’ names; 5,683 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 2,870 Americans named Mahlon and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (50% of everyone recorded); the median is 35 years old and half are between 17 and 62.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Mahlon by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Mahlon mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Mahlon is “a male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.”
From Biblical Hebrew מַחְלוֹן (makhlón).
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Mahlon?
#2,866 among boys’ names, 2025
Mahlon fell from #2,667 in 2015 to #2,866 in 2025 among boys’ names, although its share of boys born rose from 24.0 to 25.8 per million.
95 babies in 1919, the peak
Mahlon peaked in 1919, when 95 boys were given it, #623 among boys’ names. The 44 births of 2025 are 46% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44 | #2,866 | 0.03 |
| 2024 | 37 | #3,252 | 0.02 |
| 2023 | 45 | #2,829 | 0.03 |
| 2022 | 52 | #2,607 | 0.03 |
| 2021 | 49 | #2,637 | 0.03 |
| 2020 | 37 | #3,108 | 0.02 |
| 2019 | 45 | #2,789 | 0.03 |
| 2018 | 54 | #2,433 | 0.03 |
| 2017 | 38 | #3,104 | 0.02 |
| 2016 | 44 | #2,749 | 0.02 |
Every recorded year (145)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 46 | #2,667 | 0.02 |
| 2014 | 37 | #3,069 | 0.02 |
| 2013 | 43 | #2,745 | 0.02 |
| 2012 | 38 | #3,037 | 0.02 |
| 2011 | 46 | #2,655 | 0.02 |
| 2010 | 45 | #2,710 | 0.02 |
| 2009 | 45 | #2,734 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 35 | #3,259 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 49 | #2,555 | 0.02 |
| 2006 | 43 | #2,725 | 0.02 |
| 2005 | 38 | #2,825 | 0.02 |
| 2004 | 35 | #2,928 | 0.02 |
| 2003 | 39 | #2,600 | 0.02 |
| 2002 | 45 | #2,320 | 0.02 |
| 2001 | 51 | #2,074 | 0.03 |
| 2000 | 43 | #2,277 | 0.02 |
| 1999 | 42 | #2,218 | 0.02 |
| 1998 | 37 | #2,373 | 0.02 |
| 1997 | 48 | #1,920 | 0.03 |
| 1996 | 40 | #2,124 | 0.02 |
| 1995 | 35 | #2,273 | 0.02 |
| 1994 | 30 | #2,537 | 0.02 |
| 1993 | 36 | #2,186 | 0.02 |
| 1992 | 34 | #2,234 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 39 | #1,968 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 38 | #1,996 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 30 | #2,268 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 25 | #2,405 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 31 | #1,998 | 0.02 |
| 1986 | 32 | #1,900 | 0.02 |
| 1985 | 23 | #2,333 | 0.01 |
| 1984 | 25 | #2,133 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 32 | #1,774 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 28 | #1,969 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 30 | #1,883 | 0.02 |
| 1980 | 30 | #1,891 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 27 | #1,978 | 0.02 |
| 1978 | 22 | #2,175 | 0.01 |
| 1977 | 34 | #1,631 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 33 | #1,632 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 33 | #1,581 | 0.02 |
| 1974 | 23 | #1,961 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 20 | #2,090 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 29 | #1,626 | 0.02 |
| 1971 | 25 | #1,810 | 0.01 |
| 1970 | 34 | #1,448 | 0.02 |
| 1969 | 26 | #1,627 | 0.01 |
| 1968 | 23 | #1,675 | 0.01 |
| 1967 | 29 | #1,432 | 0.02 |
| 1966 | 28 | #1,473 | 0.02 |
| 1965 | 28 | #1,469 | 0.02 |
| 1964 | 37 | #1,301 | 0.02 |
| 1963 | 25 | #1,614 | 0.01 |
| 1962 | 29 | #1,468 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 39 | #1,272 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 32 | #1,416 | 0.02 |
| 1959 | 42 | #1,205 | 0.02 |
| 1958 | 36 | #1,296 | 0.02 |
| 1957 | 33 | #1,377 | 0.02 |
| 1956 | 37 | #1,274 | 0.02 |
| 1955 | 39 | #1,205 | 0.02 |
| 1954 | 38 | #1,220 | 0.02 |
| 1953 | 50 | #1,028 | 0.03 |
| 1952 | 57 | #950 | 0.03 |
| 1951 | 50 | #1,001 | 0.03 |
| 1950 | 46 | #1,046 | 0.03 |
| 1949 | 77 | #783 | 0.04 |
| 1948 | 75 | #791 | 0.04 |
| 1947 | 52 | #992 | 0.03 |
| 1946 | 43 | #1,053 | 0.03 |
| 1945 | 47 | #949 | 0.03 |
| 1944 | 52 | #886 | 0.04 |
| 1943 | 44 | #1,014 | 0.03 |
| 1942 | 60 | #847 | 0.04 |
| 1941 | 65 | #774 | 0.05 |
| 1940 | 53 | #866 | 0.05 |
| 1939 | 56 | #816 | 0.05 |
| 1938 | 63 | #776 | 0.06 |
| 1937 | 61 | #791 | 0.06 |
| 1936 | 53 | #842 | 0.05 |
| 1935 | 62 | #787 | 0.06 |
| 1934 | 75 | #706 | 0.07 |
| 1933 | 68 | #742 | 0.07 |
| 1932 | 70 | #754 | 0.07 |
| 1931 | 69 | #747 | 0.07 |
| 1930 | 71 | #761 | 0.06 |
| 1929 | 78 | #704 | 0.07 |
| 1928 | 66 | #811 | 0.06 |
| 1927 | 79 | #740 | 0.07 |
| 1926 | 80 | #714 | 0.07 |
| 1925 | 84 | #707 | 0.08 |
| 1924 | 83 | #727 | 0.07 |
| 1923 | 90 | #678 | 0.08 |
| 1922 | 91 | #683 | 0.08 |
| 1921 | 81 | #736 | 0.07 |
| 1920 | 93 | #666 | 0.09 |
| 1919 | 95 | #623 | 0.10 |
| 1918 | 71 | #777 | 0.07 |
| 1917 | 90 | #627 | 0.10 |
| 1916 | 79 | #667 | 0.09 |
| 1915 | 68 | #722 | 0.08 |
| 1914 | 36 | #925 | 0.05 |
| 1913 | 40 | #741 | 0.08 |
| 1912 | 29 | #828 | 0.07 |
| 1911 | 20 | #721 | 0.09 |
| 1910 | 17 | #745 | 0.09 |
| 1909 | 13 | #824 | 0.08 |
| 1908 | 10 | #927 | 0.06 |
| 1907 | 12 | #799 | 0.08 |
| 1906 | 12 | #735 | 0.09 |
| 1905 | 8 | #975 | 0.06 |
| 1904 | 11 | #748 | 0.09 |
| 1903 | 7 | #978 | 0.06 |
| 1902 | 11 | #715 | 0.09 |
| 1901 | 10 | #711 | 0.09 |
| 1900 | 6 | #1,258 | 0.04 |
| 1899 | 9 | #761 | 0.08 |
| 1897 | 9 | #764 | 0.08 |
| 1896 | 18 | #491 | 0.15 |
| 1895 | 12 | #630 | 0.10 |
| 1894 | 7 | #918 | 0.06 |
| 1893 | 5 | #1,135 | 0.04 |
| 1892 | 10 | #727 | 0.08 |
| 1891 | 12 | #547 | 0.12 |
| 1890 | 5 | #1,096 | 0.05 |
| 1889 | 8 | #760 | 0.07 |
| 1888 | 8 | #790 | 0.07 |
| 1887 | 6 | #886 | 0.06 |
| 1886 | 9 | #676 | 0.08 |
| 1885 | 6 | #892 | 0.06 |
| 1884 | 12 | #562 | 0.10 |
| 1883 | 13 | #508 | 0.12 |
| 1882 | 12 | #566 | 0.11 |
| 1881 | 7 | #752 | 0.07 |
| 1880 | 14 | #494 | 0.13 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Mahlon a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Mahlon has been given almost only to boys: 23 girls in 145 years of records.
Girls and boys named Mahlon: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Mahlon, and how old are they?
2,870 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 50% of the 5,683 Americans ever recorded as Mahlon. The median Mahlon alive today is 35 years old; half are between 17 and 62.
The 2020 Census counted 2,877 people named Mahlon (88 women and girls, 2,789 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 2,900 born in the U.S. The Census count is 1% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 196 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 534 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 392 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 483 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 680 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 578 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Mahlon born?
The states with the most babies named Mahlon are Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, with 81% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Indiana is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 1,164 | #822 | 3.4× |
| Ohio | 266 | #1,406 | 1.0× |
| Indiana | 141 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| New York | 126 | #1,939 | 0.3× |
| Michigan | 31 | not ranked | 0.1× |
| Iowa | 26 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| California | 25 | not ranked | 0.1× |
| Missouri | 23 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| Wisconsin | 21 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| Maine | 20 | not ranked | 0.6× |
Where Mahlon is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Mahlon is most over-represented in Pennsylvania: since 1910 it was given 3.4 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Mahlon with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 3 names spelled alike, given to 6,428 babies since 1880, Mahlon is the most given (88% of them). In 2025 it was given to 44 of their 53 babies (83%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Mahlon
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Mahlon and names like it
- Compare Mahlon and MalonBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1910sMahlon peaked in 1919.
- Pennsylvania’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Mahlon since 1910.
- Hebrew namesWiktionary’s origin for Mahlon: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1919The year the most babies were named Mahlon.
- The names of Generation ZMost people named Mahlon alive today were born 1997-2012.
- Names starting with MMost given first.