Fun Facts About the Name Maaliyah
- 306 babies named Maaliyah: U.S. records list 306 babies given the name Maaliyah from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Maaliyah Mean?
Maaliyah is a modern English spelling of Malia, the Hawaiian form of Maria, which descends from the Hebrew name Miryam (Mary). The doubled a and the final -yah are English respelling choices for the sound of the second syllable rather than signs of a separate source language. The meaning of Miryam itself is disputed. One common explanation connects it to a Hebrew root for "bitter"; another connects it to an Egyptian word meaning "beloved." Because no single derivation is accepted, the meaning is usually listed as uncertain.
The Arabic name Aaliyah, meaning "exalted," is spelled in a similar way, but it belongs to a different language and root and is not the source of this name.
Maaliyah Name History & Origins
Malia arose in Hawaii as the local form of Maria. Christian missionaries who reached the islands in the 1820s brought the name with them, and Hawaiian sound patterns, which lack an r, shifted the r of Maria to l, giving Malia. Hawaiian girls were given the name as the local equivalent of Mary.
During the twentieth century Malia spread from Hawaii to the mainland United States, where it is used well beyond Hawaiian communities; Malia Obama, born in 1998, is a widely known bearer. The spelling Maaliyah follows the pattern of recent American respellings that lengthen vowels and add h or doubled letters, while keeping the same pronunciation as the older form.
How Popular is the Name Maaliyah?
Maaliyah has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2009. Its best rank was #5,320 in 2009.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,261 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #11,701 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #12,924 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #13,047 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #9,308 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #16,581 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #17,044 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #7,609 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2017 | #9,126 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2016 | #10,554 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #9,279 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #7,190 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2013 | #6,392 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2012 | #8,465 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2011 | #12,909 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #6,800 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #5,320 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2008 | #7,265 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2007 | #9,921 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #10,338 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #12,525 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #17,728 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #7,831 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #7,288 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #8,013 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #12,594 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Maaliyah Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Maaliyah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Maaliyah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.