Girl · #13,147 in 2026

Malita

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

Malita, officially the Municipality of Malita, is a municipality and capital of the province of Davao Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 118,438 people making it the most populous town in the province.

Current Rank

#13,147

Peak Rank

#4,652 (1977)

Total Babies

123

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1921

First Year

1991

Last Year

1977

Peak Year

#4652

Peak Rank

123

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Malita

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

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

Etymology

According to a legend, the name of Malita was derived from the Spanish word maleta , meaning suitcase . Don Mariano Peralta, a retired Spanish–American War veteran, lost his suitcase while crossing a river. His shouts of "Maleta, Maleta" caught the attention of the locals, who retrieved it and later named the area Malita. Its spelling may be associated with the local pronunciation, wherein the ‘e’ sound is commonly used for the vowels ‘i’ and ‘e’.

Origin & history

Malita is the first municipality established in what is now Davao Occidental . However, its existence dates back scores of years before its formal creation as a municipality of the undivided province of Davao . The Tagakaulo, Blaan and Manobo communities have been living in the area before the arrival of the Spaniards. In 1887, Pablo Pastells, a Jesuit missionary, mentioned Malita, along with Malalag and Lais, as areas where a total of almost 7,000 Tagakaulos lived in. Records show that Malita must have existed long before the passage of the Philippine Commission Act, the Laws of the Moro Prov

The Story of Malita

Malita first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1921, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1977, when 14 Malitas were born — ranking #4,652 that year. As of 2026, Malita ranks #13,147 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 123 Malitas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Malita

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

Melita
Melitta
Malito
Muleta
Mulata
Mulatta
Malata
Melito
Melida
Mulatto
Mulato
Mullato

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Malita

What does the name Malita mean?

How popular is Malita in 2026?

In 2026, Malita ranks #13,147 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Malita most popular?

Malita reached its peak popularity in 1977, ranking #4,652 that year with 14 babies given the name.

Is Malita a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Malita?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Malita include Celita, Shalla, Lehua. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Malita

Malita is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1921 and has accumulated 123 births in the dataset. Malita's peak popularity came in 1977 when it ranked #4,652. Use the chart and map above to compare Malita'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.