Maliah
Maliah was the 1688th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 122 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 786th; the most babies were born in 2009 (356). Over the last ten years it has moved down 763 places. More babies were named Maliah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Malia) Hawaiian form of Mary · Hawaiian, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #1,688 girls, down 592 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 122girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2009356 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,394babies recorded
What does the name Maliah mean?
Maliah is a spelling of Malia, pronounced the same way, so it shares Malia's meaning and origin.
Malia is the Hawaiian form of Mary, adapted to Hawaiian sounds (Hawaiian has no r). Mary goes back to Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning DMNES describes as uncertain. Wiktionary also mentions a Hawaiian word mālia, "calm", as a source in some cases; Andrews' Hawaiian dictionary (1922) lists malia only as an adverb meaning "perhaps", so that sense needs checking. Malia Obama made the name widely known.
מִרְיָם (Biblical Hebrew, “Miriam (meaning uncertain)”)
How sure is this? Probable. As a form of Mary it is clear; the 'calm' sense is not confirmed by the Hawaiian dictionary consulted.
Related names: Mary, Maria, Malea, Maliyah.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Malia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mary', DMNES, Durham University
- Lorrin Andrews, A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language, rev. H. H. Parker (1922), s.v. 'Malia', Board of Commissioners of Public Archives, Honolulu (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Maliah popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,688 | 122 |
| 2020 | #1,096 | 223 |
| 2010 | #928 | 279 |
| 2000 | #2,501 | 61 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Maliah, counting every spelling?
Maliah is a spelling of Malia, a name family that ranked #330 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,688 for Maliah on its own. Together these spellings went to 994 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malia | 872 | #349 | 5,361 |
| Maliah | 122 | #1,688 | 866 |
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 Maliah?
122 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Maliah (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Maliah 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 69 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Maliah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Maliah?
About 5,400 people born in the US named Maliah are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 7 and 17. That makes Maliah a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Maliah by state
How common Maliah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Georgia (2.4×), Alabama (2.0×), Florida (1.6×). In 25 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 Maliah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Maliah, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Maliah
What does Maliah mean?
Maliah is a spelling of Malia, which means “Hawaiian form of Mary” (Hawaiian, Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Maliah?
Maliah was the 1688th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 122 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 786th; the most babies were born in 2009 (356). Over the last ten years it has moved down 763 places. More babies were named Maliah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Maliah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Maliah in the US.
Where is Maliah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Maliah was most common in Georgia (0.25 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alabama and Florida.