Malachi
Malachi was the 134th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,692 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 26 places. More babies were named Malachi in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning my messenger · Hebrew
Say it MAL-uh-ky /ˈmæləkaɪ/
- Rank in 2025
- #134 boys, up 22 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,692boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20062,776 babies
- Total since 1880
- 66,048babies recorded
What does the name Malachi mean?
Malachi is the name of a prophet and of the book of the Bible that bears his name. The Hebrew Mal'akhi means 'my messenger', from mal'akh, 'messenger, angel', with the ending -i, 'my'; DMNES and Wiktionary agree. Malachai and Malakai are modern spellings. DMNES notes that in Ireland Malachias was used to render the Irish name Maol Mhaodhóg, borne by Saint Malachy.
מַלְאָכִי (Biblical Hebrew, “Mal'akhi, my messenger”)מַלְאָךְ (Biblical Hebrew, “messenger, angel”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Malakai, Malachy, Malaki, Malakhi.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Malachi', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Malachi 1:1, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Malachi', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Malachi
The usual nicknames for Malachi are Kai and Mal. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Malachi in the last five years, 189 were named Kai, against 59 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kai · also for Malakai, Makai | Modern | #93 | 23,060 |
| Mal · also for Malcolm | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Malachis go by each one.
Malachi popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 290 since 1991, 9 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #134 | 2,692 |
| 2020 | #156 | 2,402 |
| 2010 | #161 | 2,416 |
| 2000 | #351 | 767 |
| 1990 | #955 | 119 |
| 1980 | #1,161 | 62 |
| 1970 | #1,830 | 24 |
| 1960 | #2,631 | 11 |
| 1950 | #1,686 | 20 |
| 1940 | #1,388 | 24 |
| 1930 | #1,791 | 18 |
| 1920 | #1,730 | 21 |
| 1910 | #970 | 12 |
| 1900 | #1,427 | 5 |
| 1890 | #791 | 8 |
| 1880 | #624 | 10 |
How popular is Malachi, counting every spelling?
Malachi is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #133 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #134 for Malachi on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,826 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malachi | 2,692 | #134 | 12,229 |
| Malakhi | 125 | #1,439 | 811 |
| Malachy | 9 | #8,665 | 76 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Malachi?
2,692 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Malachi (0.75 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Malachi born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Malachi.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Malachi?
About 64,100 people born in the US named Malachi are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 7 and 20. That makes Malachi mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Malachi by state
How common Malachi was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alaska (2.6×), Mississippi (2.3×), Alabama (2.0×), Georgia (1.9×), Montana (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Rhode Island, Utah, Massachusetts.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Malachi: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Malachi, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Malachi · Sibling names for Malachi
Questions about the name Malachi
What does Malachi mean?
Malachi means “my messenger” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Malachi?
Malachi was the 134th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,692 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 26 places. More babies were named Malachi in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Malachi a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Malachi in the US.
Where is Malachi most popular?
In 2021–2025, Malachi was most common in Alaska (3.69 per 1,000 boys), followed by Mississippi and Alabama.