Maleah

Maleah - A very unique female name

Maleah appeared on the charts for the first time in 1992 on position #4560. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Maleah and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Maleah? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Maleah. The baby girl name Maleah was given to 131 baby girls in 2025, ranking #1236 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 9,950 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Maleah peaked in popularity 17 years ago in 2009 on position 595.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Maleah, 1-5?

Maleah is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Maleah is currently topping the baby name charts in Arkansas at position #628 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,903.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Maleah is where you live.

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Maleah origin and meaning

Modern elaboration (American)

Uncertain — an elaboration of Malia (the Hawaiian form of Maria) with an -ah ending; the exact construction is not documented

Maleah appeared in 1992, in the years when Malia and Aaliyah were rising, and peaked in 2009. It is best understood as Malia respelled and extended — the -leah ending borrows Leah's look while keeping Malia's sound. It has been falling since its peak as the -leah spellings have gone out of fashion.

Origin uncertain

Maleah is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Maleah, pop culture references for the name Maleah and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Maleah

We've found the following names that sound similar to Maleah, sorted by popularity.

Molly / Mila / Millie / Mollie / Malia / Myla / Miley / Maliyah / Manuela / Malaya /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Maleah

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Maleah a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Maleah?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

muh-LEE-uh · /məˈliːə/
Spoken with three syllables, though the site's syllable table lists 2 — the table's count is reproduced as given

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Malia — The Hawaiian form of Maria this elaborates — a separate established name
• Malea — A shorter spelling of the same sound

Nicknames: LeahMal

Famous bearers

None yet — the name first appears in the data in 1992, and its oldest bearers are still young.

Style

Modern coinage

Why parents choose it

Parents chose Maleah in its 2000s wave for a flowing, feminine sound built from two familiar pieces.

Worth knowing

• Malia, Malea, Maleah, Malaya and Maliah are all in circulation — the spelling will rarely be guessed right