Namewise

Ma vs Malin

Ma and Malincompared 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.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2005, Ma was ranked #609 and Malin #8 among girls in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2009, Ma was ranked #5556 and Malin #3936 among girls in England and Wales.

Ma and Malin over time

Ma and Malin appear together in 1 published list, across 31 years of shared records. Malin held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ma in 0.

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.

Ma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Malin in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

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.

How this pair is related

The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls31 shared years, 19662005

    Ma held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Malin in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Ma #252 in 1985, Malin #6 in 1996.

    The order changed in 1967: Malin moved ahead. In 1966 they stood at #527 and #530; by 1967 that had become #566 and #305.

    Most recent shared year, 2005: Ma #609, Malin #8.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Ma, Malin
FieldMaMalin
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables12
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, NOGB-ENW, NO
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #5556 (2009)Norway · Girls #167 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)60/10060/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Ma has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Malin.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.

How each name got here

Ma

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1962

    First recorded at #462 among girls in Norway in 1962 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1962–2005

    Highest recorded position: #252 among girls in Norway, in 1985 (recorded 1962–2005).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent2005

    Most recently recorded at #609 among girls in Norway, in 2005.

    Norway · Girls

Malin

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1966

    First recorded at #530 among girls in Norway in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1966–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1998 (recorded 1966–2025).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #167 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls