Maliq
An Arabic masculine name denoting royalty and sovereignty.
Name Census estimates that about 769 living Americans carry the first name Maliq. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Maliq today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maliq births was 2002 (64 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maliq. 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
769
~ 1 in 445,714 Americans
Peak year
2002
64 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,074
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Maliq: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maliq 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 353 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
Maliq 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 Maliq during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Maliqs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Virginia, Illinois, Florida recorded the most babies named Maliq, while Texas, California, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Maliq
The name Maliq is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language. It is derived from the word "malik," which means "king" or "ruler." The name can be traced back to the 7th century, during the rise of Islam and the spread of the Arabic language across the Middle East and North Africa.
In Arabic culture, the name Maliq was often given to boys with the intention of bestowing upon them the qualities of leadership and authority. It was a name associated with strength, power, and respect.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Maliq can be found in the Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam. The name appears in reference to one of the prophets mentioned in the scripture.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Maliq. One of the most famous was Maliq al-Zahir (1176-1226), a powerful Ayyubid sultan who ruled over parts of modern-day Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. He was known for his military victories and for strengthening the Ayyubid dynasty.
Another prominent figure with the name Maliq was Maliq al-Kamil (1180-1238), the nephew of Maliq al-Zahir and also an Ayyubid sultan. He is remembered for his successful defense of Egypt against the Crusaders and his role in negotiating the transfer of Jerusalem to Muslim control.
In the 14th century, there was Maliq al-Nasir (1285-1341), a Mamluk sultan of Egypt and Syria. He was known for his long reign and his efforts to revive the Mamluk sultanate after a period of decline.
Moving forward in time, Maliq Ambar (1548-1626) was an Ethiopian-born military leader who served as the prime minister of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate in India. He is celebrated for his successful military campaigns against the Mughal Empire.
In more recent history, Maliq Jamal al-Din (1919-2005) was a prominent Syrian philosopher and writer who played a significant role in the Arab nationalist movement and the promotion of Arab culture and identity.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Maliq, a name steeped in tradition and associated with leadership, authority, and strength.
People
Maliq + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maliq 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
Maliq: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maliq?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 769 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maliq 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 445,714 US residents.
Is Maliq a common name?
We classify Maliq as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 779 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maliq most popular?
The single biggest year for Maliq was 2002, when 64 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maliq is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maliq a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maliq 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.
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.