Maleficent
Maleficent is a fictional character who first appears in Disney Animation's 1959 film, Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" based on the wicked fairy character in Charles Perrault's fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, as well as the villainess who appears in the Brothers Grimm's retelling of the story, Little Briar Rose.
Meaning & Origin of Maleficent
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Maleficent is a fictional character who first appears in Disney Animation's 1959 film, Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" based on the wicked fairy character in Charles Perrault's fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, as well as the villainess who appears in the Brothers Grimm's retelling of the story, Little Briar Rose.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Maleficent
The earliest SSA record of Maleficent as a baby girl name dates back to 2015, when 5 babies received it. 2021 was its biggest year on record, with 6 newborns named Maleficent — #13,458 in the national rankings. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 69% of all recorded Maleficents. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2021 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 16 Maleficents have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Maleficent
Phonetically similar names — useful when Maleficent is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Maleficient
- Maleficence
- Malfeasant
- Malefeasance
- Melicent
- Magnificent
- Millicent
- Milicent
- Mellifluent
- Maledicent
- Malison
- Malefice
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Maleficent
What does the name Maleficent mean?
How popular is Maleficent in 2026?
When was Maleficent most popular?
Is Maleficent a unisex name?
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About the name Maleficent
Maleficent is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2015 and has accumulated 16 births in the dataset. Maleficent's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #13,458. Use the chart and map above to compare Maleficent's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- 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.