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Name Help: Creative Malcolm Nicknames

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Name Help: Creative Malcolm nicknamesName Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed.

We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight!

Elizabeth writes:
My husband really really likes the name Malcolm. I don’t mind it, but I don’t love it either. I was thinking that maybe I’ll get more on board with a super cool nickname … but I’m having a hard time coming up with one!
The only ones I see are Mac or Colm, but neither of those really do it for me. I’d love all of your super creative outside the box suggestions! His middle name will Kelly or Andrew.

 Thank you so much!
Please read on for my response, and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Dear Elizabeth –
Malcolm is such a handsome name! But it is a little light on nicknames – at least at first glance.
Before we move on to creative Malcolm nicknames, though, let’s discuss exactly how you imagine using the nickname.
Is it something you want everyone to use exclusively? Our daughter has an unconventional nickname which she uses 99% of the time. Most people assume it is her given name, which is fine with us (and her – at least so far).
Or are you imagining a name that you’ll use at home? He’ll be Malcolm at school and maybe Mal on the soccer field, but something entirely different to you – and maybe to other close friends and family?
In either case, you have plenty of options. But if it’s the latter, you can fearlessly add nicknames like Buddy and Bear and Champ and other super-cute possibilities to your lists.
If it’s the former, I assume you’d like something more name-like, even if it is more casual than Malcolm.
So besides Mac and Colm, how about:
Cole – I like Colm in theory. But the sound is a little foreign to my tongue. Drop the ‘m’ and you have just plain Cole. It’s current, stylish, slightly more casual, and clearly derived from the sounds in Malcolm. It’s also my top pick, which is why it’s here at the very start of the list.
Cal – Purists will scratch their heads and ask how you could possibly get Cal from Malcolm. I agree – it’s not an obvious way to get to Cal. (I’ve got a list of those!) But plenty of traditional nicknames aren’t straightforward – there’s no B in William, and explaining Molly’s evolution from Mary is a tough one.
King – Okay, I concede that this is almost like calling your kiddo Sonny or Cub. And yet, four kings of Scotland answered to Malcolm; a fictionalized version of Malcolm III appears in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Malcolm called King could work for the right family.
Mace – What if you add an ‘e’ and made Mac into Mace? Just like my argument for Cal, there are plenty of widely accepted nicknames that function similarly. If you can get Kate from Katherine, why not Mace from Malcolm? This brings it closer to the chart-topping Mason, of course, and also Samuel L. Jackson’s Jedi Master from the Star Wars universe, Mace Windu. If boys are being named Kylo …
Max – With so many Max names out there, using Max for Malcolm will take others by surprise. And yet, I think it would work.
Pax – While I’m thinking of Max, Malcolm comes from Columba, a Latin name meaning dove. Dove doesn’t seem like the most masculine of nicknames. (Though Dov is a Hebrew given name meaning bear. Confused yet?) But since the dove is a symbol of peace, Malcolm makes me think of Pax – the Latin word for peace. Okay, this is a stretch, even by my highly elastic standards. But I’m throwing it in there … and hey, maybe that’s even a better case for Bear …

You’ve mentioned that the middle names you have in mind are Kelly or Andrew. I love them both, but I wonder if you’d consider another middle, in order to find a nickname you love? The obvious suggestion is choosing something to get to the initials M.J., which seems like an easy, friendly nickname option. Though other combinations could work, too. I really like the idea of M.T. called Emmett – perhaps farther than many would consider, but an intriguing thought.

Still, Cole remains my favorite. It’s unconventional, but obvious – a powerful combination.

I’m sure there many more possibilities, so readers, over to you: what are your best suggestions for creative Malcolm nicknames?

More names you might like:

Comments

  1. Malcolm Waters says

    As a Malcolm living in Scotland, the name is usually shortened to Malcy/Malky, Malc or Malcs – the latter two being more familiar. Calum used too. My US colleagues call me Mal – which feels odd and would never be used over here (not least because it means Ill in other languages).

    Reply

  2. Erin says

    We DID name our son Malcolm Reynolds ( & our Last name) from Firefly!!!
    He goes by Mal, Malcolm, and occasionally Maui. (It was his friends joking around with baby talk “Mow-come” …that stuck and shortened to Maui), go figure. I do love Colm though!

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  3. Patricia says

    In my extended family there was a gender reveal today: baby boy, to be named Malcolm. His parents like the nickname “Mac” and it seems perfect as his initials will be MAC.

    Reply

  4. Zell says

    Colin. Sure, it’s a completely different name but sometimes that happens with nicknames, plus it sounds similar to Malcolm to my ear. But if you want a more similar nickname go with Marco or another M short sounding name. Max is nice, but has no sound even remotely like Malcolm.

    Reply

  5. C in DC says

    I love Mako as an edgier nn. Max or Cole would be perfect blend-in Starbucks nns. Mo sort of divides the difference.

    As a sweet baby nn, you could also use “lamb” (“mal” backwards, essentially).

    Reply

  6. momx4 says

    My husband’s Scottish father is named Malcolm and sometimes is called “Malc”. My husband’s brother is named Callum for his father and often goes by “Cal’. (He also has a brother named Andrew, another classic Scottish name.) I think Malcolm Andrew or Callum Andrew would be fantastic!

    Reply

  7. Louisa Assibi says

    I vote for Mal. The TV show Empire has a character named Jamal and he is nicknamed Mal, which sounds so cool!

    Reply

  8. Marisa overseas says

    Malcolm and Callum have the same root in Columba so I don’t think Cal is too far of a stretch. Malec (like Alec with an M) also popped into my head. It’s not a recognized name, but seems like it could be.

    Reply

  9. Julia says

    My cousin is a Malcolm (and a delightful Malcolm!). We DO call him Mac, and also Malco (Mal-coh) and Malcs. We’re big nicknamers! He’s 30 now and I’m pretty sure his friends call him Mac or Malcolm.

    If I had a Malcolm, I’d be tempted to nn Malco or Mally (which kind of reminds me of Remy in style).

    Reply

  10. Mandie L. says

    Without reading any of the comments, Mal (like the captain of Serenity) was my first thought. I’m surprised it didn’t make the list.

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  11. Miss G says

    I’m a huge Firefly fan, and am partial to the nickname used by the lead character, Malcolm Reynolds: Mal. Malcolm was in my top 3 when I was pregnant with our son, and I still occasionally mourn my lack of a baby Mal (our son is most definitely an Arthur, though, so my sads don’t last too long).

    Reply

  13. sopejowa says

    I think I like Max! It is unexpected but really works, it doesn’t seem like a stretch like some unexpected nick names could.

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  14. Marie says

    I like Mace, Mickey, Mako, from the list and comments. Ollie even makes sense to me. Maz instead of Max.

    Cole I don’t know if anyone would guess to be a nickname.

    Reply

  15. R says

    My favorite nns from this list are Mac, and Max (kind a light nod to Malcolm X)…I grew up with a Malcolm on my swim team who just went by Malcolm. I really like it, it’s strong and has great meaning.
    Would you and your husband possibly consider Callum? It also means dove and comes with a very easy nn of Cal…
    Good luck and congrats on your baby boy!

    Reply

  18. Brenna says

    Malcolm is a lovely name, and of Abby’s suggestions I think Cole is the strongest. As an alternative, maybe Ollie (pulling from the ‘ol’ in the second syllable)?

    I could also see a Malcolm Kelly going by Mickey.

    Reply

    • Whales_and_Anchors says

      Building on this idea, I could see Malcolm Kelly going by Mako, like the shark. I know a family with a boy nicknamed Mako (But it has nothing to do with his name. I think it’s Owen.)

      Upon further reflection, I see Malcolm could be Mako even without Kelly.

      Like others, my first nickname idea after reading the title was Cole.

      Reply

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