Given name
Maelys
“chief, prince”
Maelys is a feminine given name from Old Breton. It is used in Breton.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Maelys goes back to Old Breton maël, meaning “chief, prince.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 2008. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Maelys through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 269
- 0 boys · 269 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 66 babies
- 2025
- 66
- #2,636 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +156%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 66 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,636 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 155.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (10).
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Maelys’s family of names
Maelys may belong to the same name family as Maellys. This is a tentative spelling connection.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Maelys, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Amirah
“a princess; one who commands”
>99% girls
Lumi
“snow”
5% boys · 95% girls
Amira
“a princess; one who commands”
>99% girls
Katalina
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Elle
“shining light” · “the shining light”
>99% girls
Alaia
“one who is majestic, of high worth” · “joy”
>99% girls
Kinzie
“the king's victory” · “the victorious prince”
>99% girls
Makenzy
Makenzy is a masculine given name from Haitian Creole. It is used in French.
>99% girls