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Why parents love Malia- Malia Obama gives it presidential pedigree.
- It's the Hawaiian form of Mary — sacred meaning in tropical sound.
- Three syllables with open, flowing vowels: mah-LEE-ah.
- It sounds exotic while meaning something deeply familiar.
- It bridges Hawaiian culture and Christian tradition beautifully.
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The vibe of Malia
Hawaiianpresidentialsacredtropicalflowingopenmusicalbridge
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Origin & history of Malia
Hebrew Miriam
→ Latin Maria
→ Hawaiian Malia
1
Hawaiian / Hebrew roots
Malia is the Hawaiian form of Mary/Maria, from the Hebrew Miriam. When Christian missionaries arrived in Hawaii, they transliterated biblical names into Hawaiian phonology — Mary became Malia. Malia Obama (born 1998), eldest daughter of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, brought the name to national prominence. The name entered the US top 200 after Obama's election. It carries the spiritual weight of the Virgin Mary through the warm, vowel-rich sound of Hawaiian.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Traditional Hawaiian form of Mary; gained mainland prominence through Malia Obama (born 1998).
3
Today
Malia remains a beloved choice, ranking #269 in the US. 30,729 babies have been named Malia since 1919.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Hawaiian Dictionary, SSA data
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How popular is Malia?
2009
peak year
The name Malia reached its peak in 2009, with 1,700 registrations (ranked #192). It had been quietly building for over half a century before that, first appearing in records in 1919. Since the peak, the name has eased to around #269 today, averaging about 1,190 new babies per year. Malia's usage has held roughly steady recently. Across all years on record, approximately 30,729 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations
1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
1,700
Babies named in peak year
(ranked #192)
(ranked #192)
1,190
Avg. per year
(last decade)
(last decade)
11,900
Total registrations
last 10 years
last 10 years
30,729
All-time total
(since 1880)
(since 1880)
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Numerology of Malia9
Life path number
The Humanitarian
Compassion, wisdom and humanitarianism.
Malia's Life Path 8 is the achiever's number — presidential ambition in island warmth. People named Malia tend to be accomplished, warm, and gifted at bridging different cultural worlds.
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Bridges cultures✦
Accomplished warmth◈
Presidential grace◎
Island strength♡
Sacred achieverM4
A1
L3
I9
A1
Sum: 18 → Life path 9
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Personality of Malia🌍
Compassionate soul
They carry the weight of the world with grace.
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Richly creative
Deep feeling translates into deep art.
🌟
Old soul wisdom
They've always seemed wiser than their years.
💝
Unconditional love
Their love is vast and forgiving.
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Famous people named MaliaClick any name to view their Wikipedia page.
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If you like Malia, you may also love◎
Names that sound like MaliaIf you love Malia, you might love these names with a similar sound, rhythm or feel.
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Names that combine with MaliaSibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Malia.
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Middle names for MaliaThe right middle name turns Malia into a complete story. Explore options for first-and-middle pairings, then last-name flow.
Want a personalised middle name for Malia? Try our dedicated generator with 1,000+ pairings.
♡ Generate middle name for Malia →✦
Numerology life path calculatorEnter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.
First name
Middle name (optional)
Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number
How we calculated this
Malia is a beautiful choice.
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