Given name & surname
Malia
“Mary”·“calm”
Malia is used as a given name and a surname. Malia is connected with Mary.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Malia is built from elements meaning “Mary” and “calm”.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hawaiian.
How it developed
Malia is used as a form of Mary.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1919. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Malia through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 31,606
- 0 boys · 31,606 girls
- Most popular year
- 2009
- 1,700 babies
- 2025
- 872
- #349 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −16%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 872 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 349 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,700 in 2009. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (126). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 23,945 as a first name in 2020; 898 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Malia’s family of names
Malia is a form of Mary. In Hawaiian usage, Malia has a conventional equivalent in the English form Mary. Malia has a conventional equivalent in the French form Marie.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Malia
- Malia MetellaFrench swimmerborn 1982
- Malia BakerCanadian actressborn 2006
- Malia PylesAmerican actressborn 2000
- Malia Cohen33rd Controller of Californiaborn 1977
- Malia HosakaAmerican professional wrestlerborn 1969
- Malia JonesUruguayoborn 1977
- MaliaMalawian musicianborn 1978
- Malia Obamadaughter of former US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama (born 1998)
- Malia ManuelAmerican surferborn 1993
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Malia, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Melia
Melia is a feminine given name. It is used in English, Asturian, and Hawaiian.
>99% girls
Malana
“a lighthearted woman”
>99% girls
Makena
“one who is filled with happiness” · “man of abundance”
>99% girls
Maylea
“resembling a wildflower”
>99% girls
Miliani
“of the gentle caress”
>99% girls
Anela
“a messenger of heaven; an angel”
>99% girls
Mahina
“daughter of the moonlight”
>99% girls
Maile
“from the sweet-smelling vine”
>99% girls