Malia

Malia - A very unique female name

Malia appeared on the charts for the first time in 1954 on position #1851. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Malia and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Malia? 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 Malia. The baby girl name Malia was given to 848 baby girls in 2025, ranking #349 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,537 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Malia peaked in popularity 17 years ago in 2009 on position 190.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Malia, 1-5?

Malia is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Malia is currently topping the baby name charts in Hawaii at position #20 - and is the least popular in Kentucky at position #630.

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 Malia is where you live.

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Malia origin and meaning

Hawaiian

The Hawaiian form of Mary — Mary itself is of uncertain meaning

Malia is how Mary is rendered in Hawaiian, and it travelled into wider American use from Hawaii. It first appears in US data in 1954, peaked in 2009 — the year Malia Obama entered the White House — and has eased down since.

Attested etymology

Malia is a 5 letter name with 3 syllables.

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

Similar to Malia

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

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

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 Malia 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 Malia?

3 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/

Around the world

• Malia (Hawaiian) — The source form, the Hawaiian version of Mary

Spellings and nicknames

• Malea — Respelling
• Maliah — Respelling with -h

Nicknames: MaliLia

Famous bearers

• Malia Obama — Daughter of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, and a filmmaker (b. 1998) Contemporary

Style

International

Why parents choose it

It has a soft, flowing, island feel with a familiar Mary lineage underneath, and one very well-known young bearer.

Worth knowing

• Often mispronounced MAY-lee-uh or confused with Maria or Amelia.
• Many will connect it immediately to Malia Obama.