Find out how popular the first name Malaysia has been for the last 37 years (from 1987 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Malaysia by gender

Based on the last 37 years of data, Malaysia is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 362 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Malaysia.

The history of the first name Malaysia

The name Malaysia is a relatively modern name derived from the name of the country Malaysia. It is not an ancient name and has no known origins in any particular language or culture from antiquity.

The name Malaysia is believed to have been coined by the British explorer and adventurer Sir Stamford Raffles in the early 19th century. He formed the name by combining the word "Malays" referring to the Malay ethnic group, and the Greek word "nēsos" meaning island. This was intended to refer to the Malay Archipelago region which later became known as Malaysia.

As the name is directly derived from the country's name, there are no known historical references or examples of it being used as a personal name prior to the 20th century. The earliest recorded use of Malaysia as a given name likely emerged after the country gained independence in 1957 and the name became more widely known globally.

Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals with the first name Malaysia, though most examples are from recent decades. Here are five examples:

1. Malaysia Vasudevan (born 1965), an Indian-Malaysian author and academic.
2. Malaysia Anne Boyette (born 1977), an American professional wrestler better known by her ring name Kylie Rae.
3. Malaysia Pargo (born 1980), an American basketball player and reality TV personality.
4. Malaysia Goodson (1985-2019), an American mother who tragically died after falling down a subway staircase while carrying her infant daughter.
5. Malaysia Moussa (born 1990), a French-Malian basketball player.

As the name is relatively new and directly tied to the country's name, there are limited historical examples of individuals bearing the first name Malaysia prior to the 20th century. It is a unique name that reflects the growing global awareness and influence of the Southeast Asian nation in modern times.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Malaysia was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Malaysia, please contact us.

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