Malanii
A feminine name of indigenous American origin meaning "fragrant flower".
Name Census estimates that about 166 living Americans carry the first name Malanii. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Malanii today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malanii births was 2023 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malanii. 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
166
~ 1 in 2,064,785 Americans
Peak year
2023
33 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,334
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Malanii: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Malanii from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 134 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malanii 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 Malanii during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Malaniis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, Florida, New York recorded the most babies named Malanii, while New York, Florida, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Malanii
The name Malanii originates from the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known civilizations in Mesopotamia, dating back to the 4th millennium BC. It is derived from the Sumerian words "mal" meaning "to shine" and "ni" meaning "life," suggesting a meaning of "shining life" or "radiant existence."
Malanii was a popular name among the Sumerians, particularly in the city-states of Uruk and Ur. It appears in numerous cuneiform tablets and inscriptions from that era, often associated with individuals of high social status or religious significance.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Malanii can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Sumerian epic poem dating back to around 2100 BC. In this epic, Malanii is mentioned as the name of a wise priestess who advises the hero Gilgamesh on his journey.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Malanii. One of the most famous was Malanii of Lagash, a Sumerian high priestess who lived in the 24th century BC. She is renowned for her influential role in the religious and political affairs of the city-state of Lagash.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Malanii the Scribe, a Sumerian scholar and writer who lived in the 21st century BC. He is credited with authoring numerous literary works, including the "Hymn to Inanna," a significant religious text dedicated to the Sumerian goddess of love and war.
In the 6th century BC, during the Neo-Babylonian period, there was a notable figure named Malanii, a high-ranking official and advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar II. Historical records suggest that Malanii played a vital role in the administration and governance of the Babylonian Empire.
Another notable bearer of the name was Malanii of Ctesiphon, a Parthian philosopher and astronomer who lived in the 2nd century AD. He is renowned for his contributions to the study of celestial bodies and the development of early astronomical theories.
In the 9th century AD, during the Islamic Golden Age, there was a prominent scholar and poet named Malanii al-Basri. Born in Basra, modern-day Iraq, he was celebrated for his poetic works and his expertise in various fields, including literature, philosophy, and theology.
People
Malanii + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malanii 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
Malanii: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malanii?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 166 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malanii 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 2,064,785 US residents.
Is Malanii a common name?
We classify Malanii as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 167 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malanii most popular?
The single biggest year for Malanii was 2023, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malanii is about 5 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 Malanii in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Malanii a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malanii 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.
Is Malanii still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Malanii 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 Malanii 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 common is the name Malanii?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Malanii on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.