Malana
A feminine given name of Sinhala origin meaning "beautiful flower".
Name Census estimates that about 1,158 living Americans carry the first name Malana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Malana today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malana births was 2007 (67 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malana. 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.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 295,988 Americans
Peak year
2007
67 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,808
Tracked since 1953
Popularity
Malana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Malana from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 403 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Malana remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malana 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 Malana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Malanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Florida, Ohio recorded the most babies named Malana, while Pennsylvania, Texas, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Malana
The name Malana has its origins in the Sanskrit language of ancient India. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "mala," which means "garland" or "wreath." This association with flowers and natural beauty suggests that the name may have been initially given to children as a symbol of purity and innocence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malana can be found in the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. In this revered text, Malana is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a daughter of a king from the region of Kuru. This reference dates back to around the 4th century BCE, indicating the antiquity of the name's usage.
During the medieval period in India, the name Malana gained popularity among the ruling classes and nobility. One notable figure from this era was Malana Devi, a powerful queen who ruled over the Chandela dynasty in central India during the 10th century CE. Her reign was marked by the construction of several magnificent temples, and she was celebrated for her patronage of the arts and culture.
In the 16th century, a Malana was recorded as the wife of the Mughal emperor Akbar. While her historical significance is debated, her inclusion in the court records of the time attests to the continued use of the name among the elite classes of that period.
Moving forward in time, the name Malana found its way into the literary world with Malana Lal Verma, an acclaimed Hindi poet and writer from the 19th century. Born in 1828 in the city of Lucknow, Verma's works were instrumental in the development of modern Hindi literature and are still widely studied today.
More recently, the name Malana has been carried by Malana Gondwe, a Malawian politician and activist who has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and gender equality in her country. Born in 1976, Gondwe has served as a member of parliament and has been recognized for her efforts in promoting education and empowerment for women and girls in Malawi.
Throughout its history, the name Malana has maintained a connection to its Sanskrit roots, evoking images of natural beauty and purity. From ancient epics to modern-day leaders, this name has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, each leaving their mark on the world in their own way.
People
Malana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malana 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
Malana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,158 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malana 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 295,988 US residents.
Is Malana a common name?
We classify Malana as "Rare". It ranks above 91% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,194 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malana most popular?
The single biggest year for Malana was 2007, when 67 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malana is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Malana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malana in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.