Malakei
An Arabic name meaning "angel" or "messenger of God".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Malakei. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Malakei today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malakei births was 2008 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malakei. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Malakei. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2008
5 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2008 SSA rank
#13,832
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Malakei: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Malakei by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Malakei during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Malakei
The given name Malakei has its origins in the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East. It is derived from the Hebrew word "malakh," which translates to "messenger" or "angel." This name was particularly prevalent among Hebrew and Jewish communities in the region during ancient times.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Malakei can be found in the biblical Book of Malachi, which is part of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. The name Malakei is believed to be a variant of the Hebrew name Malachi, which means "my messenger." In this context, the name was associated with the role of a prophet or divine messenger.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Malakei or its variants. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Malakei ben Yosef (c. 1200 BCE), a Hebrew scholar and religious leader who lived during the time of the Israelite settlement in Canaan. Another significant figure was Malakei ben Avraham (c. 900 BCE), a renowned Jewish sage and teacher who is credited with establishing one of the earliest Jewish academies in Jerusalem.
During the medieval period, the name Malakei gained popularity among Islamic communities, particularly in Persia and the Arab world. One notable figure was Malakei al-Baghdadi (c. 1050 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and metaphysics.
In more recent history, there have been a handful of individuals named Malakei who achieved recognition in various fields. Malakei ben Meir (1853-1923) was a prominent Hasidic rabbi and author from Ukraine who wrote extensively on Jewish mysticism and spirituality. Malakei Feldman (1889-1942) was a Belarusian-born American artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his works depicting Jewish life and culture.
While the name Malakei has its roots in ancient Semitic languages, it has transcended cultural boundaries and has been adopted by various communities around the world. Despite its relatively uncommon usage in modern times, the name Malakei continues to carry a rich historical and cultural significance, reflecting its association with divine messengers and spiritual wisdom.
People
Malakei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malakei as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Malakei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malakei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malakei going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Malakei a common name?
We classify Malakei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malakei most popular?
The single biggest year for Malakei was 2008, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malakei is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Malakei in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Malakei a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malakei in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Malakei still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Malakei in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Malakei can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Malakei?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.