Fun Facts About the Name Maleigha
- More than 1 thousand babies named Maleigha: U.S. records list 1,481 babies given the name Maleigha from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Maleigha Mean?
Maleigha is a modern English respelling of Malia, the Hawaiian form of Maria. Maria is the Latin and Greek form of Hebrew Miriam, a name of uncertain etymology. Suggested derivations include "sea of bitterness," "rebelliousness," and "wished-for child," but none is securely established. The later Christian title "star of the sea" is a symbolic interpretation, not a literal translation.
The -eigh- in Maleigha is an English spelling device for the "lee" sound; it is not part of the Hawaiian spelling Malia. The name therefore inherits the uncertain Miriam etymology through Malia and Maria rather than having a separate meaning of its own.
Maleigha Name History & Origins
Malia is the Hawaiian form of Maria, used in Hawaiian Christian communities. Maria spread through Europe as the Latin form of Greek Mariam, which derives from Hebrew Miriam. In English, Maria has been used since the Middle Ages as a Latin form associated with the Virgin Mary, and Malia is a borrowing from Hawaiian into English.
Maleigha uses an English respelling with -eigh-, a sequence familiar from names such as Leigh. This spelling is not traditional in Hawaiian or Hebrew. Its history is therefore a history of English spelling practice applied to an existing name, not of a separate Hawaiian or Hebrew name.
How Popular is the Name Maleigha?
Maleigha 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 #1,898 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 | #6,038 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2024 | #5,370 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 2023 | #3,683 | 42 | 0.0026% |
| 2022 | #4,010 | 37 | 0.0023% |
| 2021 | #3,652 | 42 | 0.0026% |
| 2020 | #2,841 | 58 | 0.0036% |
| 2019 | #2,474 | 72 | 0.0043% |
| 2018 | #2,892 | 58 | 0.0034% |
| 2017 | #3,178 | 51 | 0.0030% |
| 2016 | #3,207 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 2015 | #2,542 | 71 | 0.0040% |
| 2014 | #2,437 | 75 | 0.0042% |
| 2013 | #2,398 | 76 | 0.0043% |
| 2012 | #2,305 | 82 | 0.0047% |
| 2011 | #2,474 | 74 | 0.0042% |
| 2010 | #2,331 | 82 | 0.0046% |
| 2009 | #1,898 | 111 | 0.0060% |
| 2008 | #3,076 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 2007 | #3,081 | 57 | 0.0030% |
| 2006 | #3,161 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 2005 | #3,561 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2004 | #3,540 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2003 | #3,270 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2002 | #4,142 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2001 | #5,732 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2000 | #5,254 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1999 | #7,083 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #6,948 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #5,143 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1996 | #10,152 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #9,234 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #14,823 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #14,843 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #12,715 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #12,469 | 6 | 0.0003% |
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 Maleigha 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 always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Maleigha's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Maleigha's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.