Maelle
Maëlys is a French feminine name of Breton origin. It is a feminine form of the name Maël, meaning "chief" or "prince". The name Maël was popularized by a fifth-century Breton saint Maël. During the early 2000s, the name Maëlys ranked highly for names given to baby girls, but subsequently declined in popularity.
- French
- Breton
Meaning & Origin of Maelle
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Maëlys is a French feminine name of Breton origin. It is a feminine form of the name Maël, meaning "chief" or "prince". The name Maël was popularized by a fifth-century Breton saint Maël. During the early 2000s, the name Maëlys ranked highly for names given to baby girls, but subsequently declined in popularity.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- French
- Breton
The Story of Maelle
Maelle first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 2001, with 8 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2010: 51 births, good for #3,203 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 54% of all recorded Maelles. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #6,381 among baby girl names with 18 births, falling sharply (-15%). In total, more than 512 Maelles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Maelle
Phonetically similar names — useful when Maelle is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Maelle
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About the name Maelle
Maelle is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2001 and has accumulated 512 births in the dataset. Maelle's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #3,203. Use the chart and map above to compare Maelle's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2010 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.