Meaning and background
The story behind Malina
Malina has two well-documented but separate European histories. In Scottish naming it is a feminine form of Malcolm, following the Saint Columba-linked Gaelic line. In Polish, Bulgarian and Serbian it is also a given name based on the ordinary Slavic word for raspberry. A dog owner might favour the fruit reference or the personal-name tradition. Without that context, assigning just one country or meaning would erase a real distinction.
- Origin
- Two distinct named traditions: Scottish feminine form of Malcolm; and Polish, Bulgarian and Serbian name from Slavic malina (“raspberry”). Source
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About Malina
Recorded as a dog’s name
Malina appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2016 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
/mɑlinə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/mɑlinə/ · primary stress on syllable 2M AA0 L IY1 N AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- 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
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.