Maleiah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "angel of God".
Name Census estimates that about 318 living Americans carry the first name Maleiah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maleiah today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maleiah births was 2009 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maleiah. 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
318
~ 1 in 1,077,844 Americans
Peak year
2009
26 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,092
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Maleiah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maleiah 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 147 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Maleiah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maleiah 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 Maleiah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Maleiahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Maleiah
The name Maleiah is a relatively modern invented name that does not have a clear linguistic origin or established historical roots. It appears to be a creative spelling variation or combination of existing names, potentially influenced by names like Maliah, Malaya, or Amelia.
While the precise etymology of Maleiah is uncertain, some suggest it may be derived from the Hebrew name Malachi, meaning "messenger of God." However, this connection is tenuous and likely more of a coincidental similarity rather than a direct link.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Maleiah seem to be from the late 20th century, primarily in English-speaking countries like the United States and Canada. It gained some popularity as a unique and unconventional name choice during this period.
In terms of historical figures bearing the name Maleiah, there are limited records due to its recent origin. However, here are a few notable individuals with this first name:
Maleiah Ewing, an American artist and painter known for her abstract expressionist works, born in 1978. Her artwork has been exhibited in various galleries across the United States.
Maleiah Jones, an Australian singer and songwriter who rose to prominence in the early 2000s with her debut album "Embrace." She has since released several other successful albums and toured extensively.
Maleiah Williams, an American actress and model who has appeared in various television shows and films, including a recurring role in the popular series "The Vampire Diaries" from 2012 to 2014.
Maleiah Hussain, a British activist and campaigner for women's rights and education, particularly in developing countries. She founded the non-profit organization "Empower Her" in 2010, which has supported numerous projects globally.
Maleiah Rodrigues, a Brazilian gymnast who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics and won a silver medal in the team event. She has also won multiple medals at various international gymnastics competitions.
As a relatively new and unconventional name, Maleiah lacks an extensive historical record or widespread cultural significance. However, it has gained popularity in recent decades as a unique and creative name choice, particularly among English-speaking communities.
People
Maleiah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maleiah 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
Maleiah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maleiah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 318 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maleiah 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 1,077,844 US residents.
Is Maleiah a common name?
We classify Maleiah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 321 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maleiah most popular?
The single biggest year for Maleiah was 2009, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maleiah is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maleiah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maleiah 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.