Hunter vs Mali
Hunter and Malicompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Hunter was ranked #78 and Mali #2671 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Hunter was ranked #5891 and Mali #383 among girls in England and Wales.
Hunter and Mali over time
Hunter and Mali appear together in 2 published lists, across 26 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys17 shared years, 2002–2024
Hunter held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Mali in 2.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #44 in 2018, Mali #1799 in 2002.
The order changed in 2004: Hunter moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #2857 and #2189; by 2004 that had become #1878 and #3651.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hunter #78, Mali #2671.
England and Wales · Girls9 shared years, 2012–2024
Hunter held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mali in 9.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #2901 in 2018, Mali #360 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hunter #5891, Mali #383.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Hunter | Mali |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| Meaning | An English occupational surname, from Old English 'hunta'/'huntian' ('to hunt') — someone who hunted for a living. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhʌn.təɹ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #60 (2025) | Norway · Girls #410 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hunter has a recorded origin (English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted); Mali does not have one recorded yet.
- Hunter and Mali both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Hunter; Mali doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Hunter
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2357 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among boys in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 1999–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #60 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Mali
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #391 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1947–2025
Highest recorded position: #82 among girls in Norway, in 2009 (recorded 1947–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #410 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls