Malekai
A masculine name of Hawaiian origin meaning "messenger of the winds".
Name Census estimates that about 242 living Americans carry the first name Malekai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Malekai today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malekai births was 2022 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malekai. 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
242
~ 1 in 1,416,340 Americans
Peak year
2022
27 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,076
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Malekai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Malekai 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 117 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Malekai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malekai 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 Malekai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Malekais live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Malekai, while Florida, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Malekai
The name Malekai originated from the Hawaiian language, derived from the combination of the words "male" meaning "garland" and "kai" meaning "sea." It is believed to have emerged as a given name sometime during the 18th or 19th century in Hawaii.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malekai can be found in the Hawaiian language newspapers and documents from the late 19th century. It was not an uncommon name among Native Hawaiians during this period.
In ancient Hawaiian culture, names often held deep symbolic meaning, reflecting elements of nature, genealogy, or significant events. The name Malekai may have been associated with the beauty and abundance of the ocean, as well as the concept of garlands, which held great importance in Hawaiian traditions.
The earliest known historical figure with the name Malekai was Malekai Kanehoalani, a Hawaiian high chief who lived in the late 18th century. He was a prominent figure in the ali'i (royalty) of the island of Kaua'i.
Another notable individual was Malekai Hapalua, a Hawaiian activist and advocate for Native Hawaiian rights in the late 19th century. He was actively involved in the movement to preserve Hawaiian culture and language during the period of American occupation.
In the early 20th century, Malekai Pahio was a renowned Hawaiian musician and composer, known for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Hawaiian music.
Malekai Kalili was a Hawaiian war veteran who served in World War II and received several military honors for his bravery and service. He later became an advocate for veterans' rights and Hawaiian cultural preservation.
Malekai Naone was a respected Hawaiian educator and linguist in the mid-20th century. He played a significant role in revitalizing and promoting the Hawaiian language through his work in developing educational materials and resources.
While the name Malekai has its roots in Hawaiian culture, it has gained popularity in recent times among various cultural groups, particularly those with an appreciation for its unique sound and meaning.
People
Malekai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malekai 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
Malekai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malekai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 242 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malekai 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 1,416,340 US residents.
Is Malekai a common name?
We classify Malekai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 244 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malekai most popular?
The single biggest year for Malekai was 2022, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malekai is about 10 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 Malekai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Malekai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malekai in the SSA data are male. 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 Malekai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Malekai 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 Malekai 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 common is the name Malekai?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.