Malaysha
A feminine name derived from the Spanish word "maleza" meaning "wild grass".
Name Census estimates that about 508 living Americans carry the first name Malaysha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Malaysha today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malaysha births was 2006 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malaysha. 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
508
~ 1 in 674,713 Americans
Peak year
2006
36 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,792
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Malaysha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Malaysha from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 239 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malaysha 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 Malaysha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Malayshas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, South Carolina, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Malaysha, while Ohio, Louisiana, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Malaysha
The name Malaysha is a relatively modern feminine name with uncertain origins. It may have roots in the Malay language, which is spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, and parts of Thailand. The prefix "Malay-" suggests a connection to the Malay people or culture.
Some linguists believe that the name Malaysha is a variation of the name Malaya, which is derived from the Sanskrit word "malaya" meaning "hill" or "mountain range." This would connect the name to the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia.
There are no clear historical references to the name Malaysha in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records. The earliest known usage of the name seems to be from the late 20th century, as it gained popularity in certain regions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Malaysha is Malaysha Fortuna, a Filipino actress born in 1978. She has appeared in various television shows and films in the Philippines.
Another notable person with the name Malaysha is Malaysha Monique, an American singer and songwriter born in 1985. She has released several albums and singles, primarily in the R&B and soul genres.
Malaysha Tharani is a Malaysian actress and model who has worked in both film and television productions in her home country. She was born in 1990 and has gained recognition for her roles in various Malaysian dramas and movies.
In the United States, Malaysha Denise Jones, born in 1992, is a professional basketball player who has played in the WNBA and overseas leagues.
Malaysha Munshower, born in 1996, is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE, where she performs under the ring name Raquel Rodriguez in the SmackDown brand.
People
Malaysha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malaysha 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
Malaysha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malaysha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 508 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malaysha 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 674,713 US residents.
Is Malaysha a common name?
We classify Malaysha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 516 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malaysha most popular?
The single biggest year for Malaysha was 2006, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malaysha is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Malaysha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malaysha 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.