Malayjah
A feminine name possibly derived from a combination of "Malay" and "Jah" (God).
Name Census estimates that about 157 living Americans carry the first name Malayjah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Malayjah today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malayjah births was 2012 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malayjah. 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
157
~ 1 in 2,183,149 Americans
Peak year
2012
17 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2022 SSA rank
#14,657
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Malayjah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Malayjah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 95 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malayjah 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 Malayjah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Malayjahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Malayjah
The given name Malayjah is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was prevalent in the Indian subcontinent around the 1st millennium BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "malaya," meaning "mountain range," and the suffix "-jah," which denotes a sense of belonging or origination.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Malayjah can be found in the Hindu sacred texts known as the Vedas, which date back to around 1500-500 BCE. In these ancient scriptures, the name is mentioned in connection with various deities and spiritual figures associated with the Hindu pantheon.
During the medieval period, the name Malayjah gained prominence in various parts of South Asia, particularly in the regions of modern-day India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Historical records from this era mention several notable individuals bearing this name, including Malayjah Devi, a renowned poetess and scholar who lived in the 12th century CE in the kingdom of Bengal.
In the 16th century, the name Malayjah was associated with a famous warrior and military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This individual, known as Malayjah Khan, played a crucial role in several military campaigns and is celebrated for his bravery and strategic acumen.
Another notable figure with the name Malayjah was a renowned mystic and spiritual teacher who lived in the 18th century CE in the region of Rajasthan, India. This Malayjah was revered for his wisdom and teachings, which attracted followers from far and wide.
Fast-forwarding to the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the name Malayjah was Malayjah Raj Anand, an influential Indian author and literary critic who was born in 1905 and died in 2004. His works explored themes of social injustice, caste discrimination, and the human condition, and he is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the Indian literary renaissance.
People
Malayjah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malayjah 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
Malayjah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malayjah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 157 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malayjah 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 2,183,149 US residents.
Is Malayjah a common name?
We classify Malayjah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 158 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malayjah most popular?
The single biggest year for Malayjah was 2012, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malayjah is about 14 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 Malayjah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Malayjah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malayjah 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 Malayjah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Malayjah 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 Malayjah 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 have Malayjah as a first name?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Malayjah at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.