Girls' name · peaked in 2009
Malia name popularity since 1925
31,601 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Malia. Half of them were born in 2011 or earlier, so the typical Malia is about 15 years old in 2026. Malia peaked in 2009 as the #192 name for girls, and it ranked #349 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 31,601
- Named Malia, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #349
- for girls in 2025 (872 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 100.0% girls
- 31,601 girls · 0 boys
- Most popular in
- Hawaii
- 20.50× its national share
Peak year is the year Malia made up the largest share of US girls, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Malia births per year, 1925–2025
2009 was the biggest year for Malia both by count and as a share of all babies.
- Fastest rise: Between 2004 and 2009, Malia became 2.5× more common, from 1 in 2,700 baby girls to 1 in 1,080.
- Steepest fall: Between 2009 and 2014, its share of baby girls fell by 42%, from 1 in 1,080 to 1 in 1,870.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Malia's share of all US girls five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Malia.
Decade by decade
Babies named Malia in each decade, and its rank among girls' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 0 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | Under 5 |
| 1940s | 5 | Under 5 |
| 1950s | 323 | #1,079 |
| 1960s | 449 | #1,477 |
| 1970s | 1,027 | #1,224 |
| 1980s | 1,442 | #1,115 |
| 1990s | 2,477 | #858 |
| 2000s | 8,205 | #418 |
| 2010s | 11,140 | #315 |
| 2020–25 | 6,533 | #349 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 girls that year, so they can go past 1,000. "Under 5" means fewer than 5 girls got the name.
Generation fingerprint
46.5% of babies named Malia from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Alpha years (2013–2025). The full split by generation:
Where Malia is most popular
The index compares Malia's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Malia.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 20.50× | 1,883 |
| Nevada | 3.28× | 344 |
| Washington | 2.37× | 1,167 |
| Oregon | 2.14× | 589 |
| Utah | 1.72× | 430 |
Other spellings
Spellings that sound like Malia and were given to at least 1,000 girls from 1925 to 2025, with the year each one was most popular.
| Spelling | Girls | Peak year |
|---|---|---|
| Malia (this page) | 31,601 | 2009 |
| Maliah | 5,394 | 2013 |
| Malea | 2,540 | 2009 |
| Maliha | 1,424 | 2009 |
| Maleia | 1,187 | 2023 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Malia's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Malia.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Malia (2009).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data