Malashia
Feminine name of proposed African origin meaning "life, rebirth, prosperity".
Name Census estimates that about 102 living Americans carry the first name Malashia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Malashia today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malashia births was 1995 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malashia. 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
102
~ 1 in 3,360,337 Americans
Peak year
1995
12 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2013 SSA rank
#11,604
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Malashia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Malashia from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 59 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Malashia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malashia 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 Malashia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Malashia
The name Malashia has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was spoken in the Indian subcontinent during the second millennium BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit words "mala," meaning garland or wreath, and "shia," meaning cool or pleasing. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with someone possessing a serene or calming presence, or perhaps someone involved in the creation or wearing of floral garlands.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Malashia can be found in the Mahabharata, a ancient Hindu epic composed between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE. In this text, Malashia is the name of a minor character, a maiden who is described as being of great beauty and virtue. While not a central figure, her inclusion in this seminal work indicates that the name held significance in ancient Indian culture.
During the Gupta Empire, which ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent between the 4th and 6th centuries CE, the name Malashia appears to have gained further prominence. Historical records from this period mention a renowned poet and scholar by the name of Malashia Mishra (c. 450-510 CE), whose works were widely celebrated for their lyrical beauty and depth of thought.
In the 9th century CE, the name was borne by Malashia Devi, a princess of the Pala Empire in what is now eastern India and Bangladesh. Malashia Devi is remembered for her patronage of the arts and her support of Buddhist monasteries and temples, many of which she helped to establish or renovate.
Moving forward in history, the name Malashia surfaces again in the 16th century, this time in the context of the Mughal Empire. Malashia Khan (c. 1530-1594) was a respected military commander and administrator who served under the Mughal emperors Akbar and Jahangir, playing a key role in the expansion and consolidation of the empire's territories.
Finally, in the 19th century, the name Malashia was borne by Malashia Naidu (1828-1891), a prominent Indian social reformer and activist. Naidu was a pioneering figure in the movement for women's education and empowerment, and she founded several schools and institutions aimed at uplifting the status of women in Indian society.
People
Malashia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malashia 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
Malashia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malashia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 102 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malashia 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 3,360,337 US residents.
Is Malashia a common name?
We classify Malashia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 104 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malashia most popular?
The single biggest year for Malashia was 1995, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malashia is about 21 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 Malashia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Malashia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malashia 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 Malashia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Malashia 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 Malashia 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 named Malashia?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.