Fun Facts About the Name Malu
- 263 babies named Malu: U.S. records list 263 babies given the name Malu from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 boys received the name Malu - about 1 boy for every 52 girls.
What Does the Name Malu Mean?
Malu has two independent origins, and they give it two different meanings. In the Polynesian languages it comes from a shared word for shade and shelter, reconstructed as Proto-Polynesian *malu and continued in Hawaiian malu (shade, shelter, protection, calm), Samoan malu (sheltered, protected), and Tongan malu. The literal sense is the shade that gives relief from the sun; the sense carried in personal names is protection and safety. The Hawaiian name Malulani is built from the same element plus lani (sky, heaven, royal).
In Portuguese and Spanish, Malu - written Malú in Spanish - is a shortening of two-part girls' names that begin with Maria and contain Lu-: Maria Luísa, Maria Luiza, Maria Lúcia. It joins the first syllable of Maria to the lu of the second name, so its meaning is the meaning of those names rather than a word with a sense of its own. German usage follows the same habit, with Malu as a short form of Maria-Luise.
The identical-looking Indonesian and Malay word malu, meaning ashamed or shy, is not related to either of these name traditions.
Malu Name History & Origins
The Polynesian malu is an old word, going back to Proto-Polynesian, the reconstructed ancestor of the Polynesian languages. Its reflexes are widespread: Hawaiian and Samoan malu, Tongan malu, and Māori maru, all in the range of shade, shelter, and protection. In Hawaiian, the word is used in personal names, both in compounds such as Malulani and on its own as the given name Malu. The related Hawaiian word maluhia means peace.
Malu as a stand-alone name in the Portuguese-speaking world, above all Brazil, grew out of a different custom: giving girls a first name compounded with Maria - Maria Luísa, Maria Lúcia, Maria de Lourdes - and then shortening it in everyday use. Malu takes the opening of Maria and the lu of the second element, and it has also come to be given on its own. Spanish has the same pattern in Malú, as in the name by which the singer María Lucía Sánchez Benítez is known. In German-speaking countries, Malu is likewise recorded as a short form of Maria-Luise.
How Popular is the Name Malu?
Malu 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 2024. Its best rank was #5,225 in 2024.
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 | #9,251 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #5,225 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2023 | #7,127 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2022 | #5,570 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2021 | #5,683 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2020 | #5,426 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2019 | #5,550 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2018 | #7,617 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2017 | #8,122 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #8,248 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #15,700 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #15,839 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #9,999 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #12,939 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #16,232 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #16,493 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #16,802 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #13,143 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #17,122 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #15,624 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #14,839 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | #13,330 | 5 | 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 Malu 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.
✦ Malu's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Malu's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.