Given name & surname
Malakai
“a messenger of God”
Malakai is a variant of Malachi. One Hebrew interpretation is “a messenger of God.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Malakai is a variant of Malachi. One Hebrew interpretation is “a messenger of God.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Malakai is a variant of Malachi. An origin associated with Malachi is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1988. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Malakai through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 17,887
- 17,830 boys · 57 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 1,657 babies
- 2025
- 1,657
- #213 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +65%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,657 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 213 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 65.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (231). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,435 as a first name in 2020; a sample rank of No. 62,176 among surnames in 1990.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Malakai’s family of names
Malakai has a related form in Malachi.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Malakai
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Malakai, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Makai
“who is like God?”
98% boys · 2% girls
Jasai
99% boys · 1% girls
Callahan
Callahan is a masculine given name from Irish.
90% boys · 10% girls
Messiah
99% boys · 1% girls
Maddox
“born into wealth and prosperity” · “the son of the benefactor”
96% boys · 4% girls
Alijah
Alijah is a masculine given name.
94% boys · 6% girls
Elian
“a spirited man”
99% boys · 1% girls
Eliam
“the God of my nation”
>99% boys