Malik
Malik was the 437th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 724 babies. Its best year was 1996, when it ranked 97th with 4,026 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 62 places. More babies were named Malik in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning king; owner, master · Arabic
Say it mah-LEEK /mɑˈlik/
- Rank in 2025
- #437 boys, down 64 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 724boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19964,026 babies
- Total since 1880
- 49,866babies recorded
What does the name Malik mean?
Malik is Arabic. Wiktionary derives it from malik, "king, leader", and mālik, "owner, master"; the Random House dictionary gives "king". Both words are used of God in the Quran: al-Malik, "the Sovereign" (59:23), and Mālik, "Master" of the Day of Judgment (1:4). It is used across the Muslim world and among African American families.
مَلِك (Arabic, “king”)مَالِك (Arabic, “owner, master”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Malika, Malek, Maliq.
See also: Arabic names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Malik', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Malik', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- Qur'an 59:23, Arabic text with word-by-word translation (quran.com), Quran.com
- Qur'an 1:4, Arabic text with word-by-word translation (quran.com), Quran.com
Malik popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 259 since 1970.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #437 | 724 |
| 2020 | #373 | 838 |
| 2010 | #283 | 1,192 |
| 2000 | #176 | 2,084 |
| 1990 | #559 | 328 |
| 1980 | #667 | 168 |
| 1970 | #732 | 126 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Malik, counting every spelling?
Malik is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #420 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #437 for Malik on its own. Together these spellings went to 771 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malik | 724 | #437 | 3,917 |
| Malick | 22 | #4,635 | 89 |
| Malyk | 8 | #9,409 | 78 |
| Maliq | 6 | #11,502 | 54 |
| Maalik | 11 | #7,484 | 43 |
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 Malik?
724 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Malik (0.20 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Malik 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 12 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Malik.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Malik?
About 48,500 people born in the US named Malik are alive today, with a median age of 24; half are between 15 and 29. That makes Malik 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.
Malik by state
How common Malik was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (1.9×), Maryland (1.9×), Mississippi (1.9×), Louisiana (1.9×), Georgia (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Idaho, Kansas, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Malik: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Malik, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Malik · Sibling names for Malik
Questions about the name Malik
What does Malik mean?
Malik means “king; owner, master” (Arabic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Malik?
Malik was the 437th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 724 babies. Its best year was 1996, when it ranked 97th with 4,026 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 62 places. More babies were named Malik in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Malik a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Malik in the US.
Where is Malik most popular?
In 2021–2025, Malik was most common in Michigan (0.87 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maryland and Mississippi.