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The short answer
Malia is a feminine name used in Hawaiian and English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Hawaiian form of Maria. This name experienced a spike in popularity in 2009, likely because of the eldest daughter (born 1998) of the American president Barack Obama." It ranked #349 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, hawaiian form of Maria. This name experienced a spike in popularity in 2009, likely because of the eldest daughter (born 1998) of the American president Barack Obama. The entry lists its usage as Hawaiian, English (Modern), German (Modern).
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Malia ranked #349 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #349 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (Hawaiian) and that sit near Malia in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Malia mean?
Behind the Name does not give Malia a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: hawaiian form of Maria.
Is Malia a popular name?
Malia ranked #349 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Malia a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Malia appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Malia — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
