Meaning and background
The story behind Malice
Malice is an English noun for ill will or an intention to harm. It came through Old French from Latin *malitia*, built on *malus*, meaning bad. That literal sense can make the name a deliberately tongue-in-cheek choice, but it is a dictionary meaning, not evidence about a dog’s actual behaviour. Owners should be aware that strangers are likely to understand the negative English word before any playful intention.
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About Malice
Recorded as a dog’s name
Malice appears in 1 dog licence record in the 2026 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/mæləs/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
Other dictionary readings and notation
/mæləs/ · primary stress on syllable 1M AE1 L AH0 S
/mælɪs/ · primary stress on syllable 1M AE1 L IH0 S
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (3)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
- City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.