Mallory Name Meaning, Origin and Pronunciation

Mallory is an Old French-origin name meaning “unlucky” or “unfortunate,” originally a surname before shifting into use as a given name.

Meaning	unlucky, unfortunate
Origin	Old French (from “malheure”)
Pronunciation	MAL-uh-ree
Gender	Used for both boys and girls historically; predominantly a girl’s name in current US use
Related forms	none widely used; the name has stayed close to its original form

Origin and history

Mallory comes from the Old French word “malheure,” combining elements meaning bad and hour, giving the literal sense of an unlucky or unfortunate time. Like many English surnames with a descriptive medieval-French origin, it likely began as a nickname for someone considered unlucky before becoming a hereditary family surname, and only much later shifted into use as a first name, a path shared with other surname-turned-given-names.

Is Mallory a boy or girl name?

Mallory has historically been used for both boys and girls, though current US naming data shows it used predominantly as a girl’s name.

Frequently asked questions

Does Mallory’s meaning affect how the name is perceived today?

Not really. Like several other names with an unflattering literal etymology, Mallory is chosen today almost entirely for its sound rather than its original meaning, which most parents are unaware of.

Is Mallory more common for boys or girls?

It has shifted toward predominantly girl use in recent US naming data, though its surname origins carried no strict gender association historically.

Related reading

Parent hub: name meanings.