Where does the name Malia come from?

Malia is a girl name of Hawaiian origin.

Is Malia a boy or a girl name?

Malia is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 29,786 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Malia in 2023?

Malia ranks #274 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2009 with 1,700 babies.

How do you pronounce Malia?

Malia is pronounced mah-LEE-ah (3 syllables).

A name from Hawaiian · Girl

Malia

The Hawaiian form of Mary. The Polynesian sound system substitutes "l" for the "r" absent in Hawaiian, so Maria becomes Malia. Sharply popular in the U.S. since the Obama presidency.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 104-year arc in numbers.

29,786 U.S. births recorded from 1919–2023.

Popularity · 1919–2023

1,146 births in 2023

1919 1971 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

MThe Hawaiian form of Mary. The Polynesian sound system substitutes "l" for the "r" absent in Hawaiian, so Maria becomes Malia. Sharply popular in the U.S. since the Obama presidency.

Quick answers

People often ask about Malia.

What does the name Malia mean?: Malia means the Hawaiian form of Mary. The Polynesian sound system substitutes "l" for the "r" absent in Hawaiian, so Maria becomes Malia. Sharply popular in the U.S. since the Obama presidency.
Where does the name Malia come from?: Malia is a girl name of Hawaiian origin.
Is Malia a boy or a girl name?: Malia is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 29,786 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Malia in 2023?: Malia ranks #274 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2009 with 1,700 babies.
How do you pronounce Malia?: Malia is pronounced mah-LEE-ah (3 syllables).

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.