The first name Malia
A girl’s name from Hawaiian meaning “mary”, “calm”.
Pronounced /məˈliː.ə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Hawaiian origin
Malia means “mary”, “calm” in Hawaiian.
Borrowed from Hawaiian Malia (“Mary”) and in some cases from Mālia (“calm”).
More names that mean peace.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 45 girls were named Malia, making it the 807th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2023, with 94 births (#433).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Malia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Malia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 872 girls born in the United States were named Malia, the 349th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2009, when 1,700 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Malia
3 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Malia MetellaFrench swimmer, born 1982
- Malia BakerCanadian actress, born 2006
- Malia PylesAmerican actress, born 2000
Questions
- What does the name Malia mean?
- Malia means “mary”, “calm” in Hawaiian.
- What is the origin of the name Malia?
- Borrowed from Hawaiian Malia (“Mary”) and in some cases from Mālia (“calm”).
- How popular is the name Malia?
- In 2025, 45 girls born in England and Wales were named Malia, ranking 807th. Its peak was 2023, with 94 births.
- Is Malia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 31,606 US babies named Malia since 1880 were girls.
- When was Malia most popular?
- 2009 in the United States, when 1,700 babies were named Malia, its highest rank at 192nd.
- How do you pronounce Malia?
- Malia is /məˈliː.ə/, 3 syllables.