Derived from contracted form adjective mal (мал), which means "little, small". It could have been as well used as a diminutive of a dithematic name, such as Małomir. Mal was a 10th century prince of Drevliany who tried to marry Olha, princess of Kyiv, after death of her husband Ihor, who was killed in Drevlian uprising. A number of names with this root were in use at least up to mid-17th century.