Girl · #3,407 in 2026

Mahalia

Name: Popularity of the name Mahalia in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Mahalia, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Mahalia is a given name and may refer to:Mahalia Barnes, Australian singer-songwriter Mahalia Belo, British film and television director Mahalia Burkmar, known mononymously as Mahalia, English singer, songwriter and actress Mahalia Cassidy, Australian netball player Mahalia Jackson (1911–1972), American gospel singer

English

Current Rank

#3,407

Peak Rank

#830 (2020)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

-3%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

2020

Peak Year

#830

Peak Rank

Total Count

122

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Mahalia

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English

The Story of Mahalia

American parents first put Mahalia on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 65 Mahalias were born — ranking #2,597 that year. As of 2026, Mahalia ranks #3,407 for baby girls with 46 births, holding steady (-3%). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Mahalia

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Mahalia. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Mahala

Names that sound like Mahalia

Phonetically similar names — useful when Mahalia is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Mahalla
Nathalia
Michale
Mihaly
Metalli
Mahalo
Mahala
Morelia
Mashallah
Mahalah
Mobilia
Mahonia

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mahalia

What does the name Mahalia mean?

What is the origin of the name Mahalia?

Mahalia has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is Mahalia in 2026?

In 2026, Mahalia ranks #3,407 among girls' names in the U.S., with 46 babies given the name that year.

When was Mahalia most popular?

Mahalia reached its peak popularity in 2020, ranking #830 that year with 65 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Mahalia most popular?

Mahalia has historically been most popular in Mississippi, South Carolina, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Mahalia.

Is Mahalia a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Mahalia is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Mahalia?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Mahalia include Chloie, Vinnie, Louvenia. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Mahalia?

Common variants and related forms of Mahalia include Mahala. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Mahalia

Mahalia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Mahalia's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #830. Use the chart and map above to compare Mahalia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.