Malia

At a Glance: Name: Malia – Meaning: Hawaiian form of Mary; sometimes linked to 'calm' – Origin: Hawaiian – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: mah-LEE-ah

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Malia (pronounced mah-LEE-ah) is a Hawaiian girl's name, and it's the Hawaiian form of Mary. You may come across the claim that Malia means "calm" or "peaceful," but that's only a secondary, occasional reading of the name — it's primarily documented as the Hawaiian form of Mary.

Meaning & Origin of Malia

Meaning: Hawaiian form of mary; sometimes linked to 'calm'.

Origin: Hawaiian.

A common claim: Malia means 'calm, peaceful' Actually: Wiktionary documents 'Malia' primarily as the Hawaiian form of 'Mary'; 'calm' appears only as a secondary, occasional association.

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Malia

Phonetic: mah-LEE-ah   IPA: /məˈliːə/

Popularity of Malia

Malia hit its peak popularity in 2009, ranking #192 with 1,700 baby girls given the name that year. By 2024 it had settled to #326, with 946 babies named Malia.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1919–2024.

Make Malia Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Malia, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Kaia
• Kailani
• Leilani
• Ailani
• Alani
• Anela

FAQ

What does the name Malia mean?

Hawaiian form of mary; sometimes linked to ‘calm’. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Malia)

How do you pronounce Malia?

Malia is pronounced mah-LEE-ah (IPA: /məˈliːə/).

Is Malia a popular name right now?

Malia peaked at #192 in 2009 and is ranked #326 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1919–2024.)

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