At a Glance: Name: Mali – Origin: uncertain (competing traditions: Thai, a European pet-form of Mary/Maria, or the country name) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: MAH-lee
Mali is an uncertain (competing traditions: Thai, a European pet-form of Mary/Maria, or the country name) girl's name. It appears in 3 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Mali
Origin: uncertain (competing traditions: Thai, a European pet-form of Mary/Maria, or the country name).
A common claim: Often glossed as a pet form of Mary/Maria meaning 'bitter', or as the Thai word for 'jasmine flower' Actually: Neither popular gloss is confirmed by Wiktionary, whose only documented etymology for 'Mali' is the country name, ultimately from a word meaning 'hippopotamus' — unrelated to either claim.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Mali
Phonetic: MAH-lee IPA: /ˈmɑːli/
Popularity of Mali
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1967–2024.
Lists That Include Mali
- 200+ Beautiful Short Girl Names We’re Loving 2026
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- 175+ German Baby Girl Names That Are Quietly Making a Comeback
Similar Names
Mira · Lumi · Noa · Lola · Noor · Gwen
