Maleia
Maleia was the 2880th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 59 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 2102nd with 92 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,794 places. More babies were named Maleia in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Malaya) the Malay Peninsula region (place name) · English, Malay
- Rank in 2025
- #2,880 girls, up 116 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 59girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 202392 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,187babies recorded
What does the name Maleia mean?
Maleia is a spelling of Malaya, pronounced the same way, so it shares Malaya's meaning and origin.
Malaya is the name of the southern Malay Peninsula region, now West Malaysia. Wiktionary explains it as Malay plus the Latin place ending -ia; Malay comes from the people's own name, Melayu. Malaysia, the name of the modern country, is formed from the same root. As a given name Malaya may also be heard as a variant of names like Malia, though our sources do not document that. US records show Malaya from 1977.
Melayu (Malay, “Malay (people)”)
How sure is this? Probable. The place-name source is documented; other possible sources for some families are not covered by our sources.
Related names: Malaysia, Malia.
See also: English names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Malaya' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Malaysia' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Maleia popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,880 | 59 |
| 2020 | #2,996 | 54 |
| 2010 | #3,604 | 44 |
| 2000 | #4,245 | 29 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | #11,420 | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Maleia, counting every spelling?
Maleia is a spelling of Malaya, a name family that ranked #471 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,880 for Maleia on its own. Together these spellings went to 673 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaya | 351 | #775 | 1,870 |
| Malayah | 223 | #1,084 | 1,363 |
| Maleia | 59 | #2,880 | 318 |
| Malaia | 28 | #4,833 | 152 |
| Maleiah | 6 | #14,293 | 63 |
| Malaiah | 6 | #14,291 | 57 |
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 Maleia?
59 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Maleia (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Maleia 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 142 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Maleia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Maleia?
About 1,200 people born in the US named Maleia are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 5 and 21. That makes Maleia 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.
Maleia by state
How common Maleia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 46 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Maleia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Maleia, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Maleia
What does Maleia mean?
Maleia is a spelling of Malaya, which means “the Malay Peninsula region (place name)” (English, Malay origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Maleia?
Maleia was the 2880th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 59 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 2102nd with 92 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,794 places. More babies were named Maleia in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Maleia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Maleia in the US.
Where is Maleia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Maleia was most common in California (0.06 per 1,000 girls), followed by South Carolina and Texas.