Maleeah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "noble" or "highborn".
Name Census estimates that about 260 living Americans carry the first name Maleeah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maleeah today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maleeah births was 2013 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maleeah. 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
260
~ 1 in 1,318,286 Americans
Peak year
2013
23 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,793
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Maleeah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maleeah 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 152 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Maleeah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maleeah 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 Maleeah 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 Maleeah
The name Maleeah has its origins in the Arabic language, with roots dating back to the 7th century AD. It is believed to be a derivative of the Arabic word "Malak," meaning "angel" or "messenger of God." This name gained popularity in the Middle East and North Africa during the rise of Islam and the spread of Arabic culture.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Maleeah can be found in ancient Islamic texts and manuscripts. One notable reference is in the "Kitab al-Aghani" (The Book of Songs), a 10th-century Arabic literary work that mentions a woman named Maleeah who was renowned for her beauty and intellect.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Maleeah. One of the earliest was Maleeah bint al-Hasan al-Basri (670-743 CE), a renowned Muslim scholar and mystic from Basra, Iraq. She was highly respected for her knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the field of Sufism.
Another prominent figure was Maleeah al-Qurashiyah (950-1015 CE), a celebrated poet and calligrapher from Cordoba, Spain, during the golden age of the Umayyad Caliphate. Her poetry and intricate calligraphic works were highly regarded throughout the Iberian Peninsula and the Islamic world.
In the 12th century, Maleeah bint al-Muhadhdhib (1120-1190 CE) was a renowned physician and scholar from Aleppo, Syria. She made significant contributions to the field of medicine and was renowned for her expertise in treating various ailments.
During the Ottoman Empire, Maleeah Khanum (1520-1582 CE) was a prominent figure in the court of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. She was known for her beauty, intelligence, and influence in the imperial harem, and was highly respected for her philanthropic endeavors.
In more recent times, Maleeah Jamilah (1917-2002 CE) was a celebrated Egyptian singer and actress who gained fame for her performances in Arabic musical films during the mid-20th century. Her powerful voice and charismatic stage presence earned her a place as one of the most iconic figures in Egyptian and Arab cinema.
The name Maleeah has maintained its significance in Arabic and Islamic cultures, symbolizing grace, beauty, and spiritual enlightenment. Its rich history and associations with notable figures have contributed to its enduring popularity across the Middle East and among Muslim communities worldwide.
People
Maleeah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maleeah 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
Maleeah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maleeah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 260 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maleeah 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 1,318,286 US residents.
Is Maleeah a common name?
We classify Maleeah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 262 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maleeah most popular?
The single biggest year for Maleeah was 2013, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maleeah is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maleeah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maleeah 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.