Maelle is the French feminine form of the Breton name Mael, which means "prince" or "chief" and belonged to a 5th-century Breton saint. Written Maëlle, it has been a favorite in France since the 1990s and is now making its way across the Atlantic. Maelle has jumped from number 8750 among US girls in 2024 to number 2801 in 2025, its best rank to date.