Girl · #322 in 2026

Malia

Malia is a name with multiple cultural origins: Hawaiian, English, German.

  • Hawaiian
  • English
  • German
Current Rank
#322
Peak Rank
#192 (2009)
Total Babies
33K
5-Yr Trend
-17%
1919
First Year
2026
Last Year
2009
Peak Year
#192
Peak Rank
33K
Total Count
76
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Malia

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

Malia is a name with multiple cultural origins: Hawaiian, English, German.

Origin data from Behind the Name .

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Hawaiian
  • English
  • German

The Story of Malia

The earliest SSA record of Malia as a baby girl name dates back to 1919, when 5 babies received it. 2009 was its biggest year on record, with 1,700 newborns named Malia — #192 in the national rankings. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 34% of all recorded Malias. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #322 among baby girl names with 967 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 33K Malias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Malia

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

Names that sound like Malia

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Malia

What does the name Malia mean?
Malia is a name with multiple cultural origins: Hawaiian, English, German.
What is the origin of the name Malia?
Malia has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Hawaiian, English, German.
How popular is Malia in 2026?
In 2026, Malia ranks #322 among girls' names in the U.S., with 967 babies given the name that year.
When was Malia most popular?
Malia reached its peak popularity in 2009, ranking #192 that year with 1,700 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Malia most popular?
Malia has historically been most popular in Hawaii, U.S. Territories, District of Columbia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Malia.
Is Malia a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Malia is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Malia?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Malia include Luann, Addyson, Minerva. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Malia?
Common variants and related forms of Malia include Malea, Maleah, Maliyah. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Malia

Malia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1919 and has accumulated 33K births in the dataset. Malia's peak popularity came in 2009 when it ranked #192. Use the chart and map above to compare Malia'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.