Malia
Malia is a girls' name of Hawaiian origin meaning “calm, peaceful waters.” It ranked #349 in the United States in 2025. Malia is the Hawaiian form of Mary, meaning 'calm waters' or 'peaceful.
how do you pronounce Malia?
mah-LEE-ah
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Malia mean?
The name Malia means “calm, peaceful waters.” It comes from the Hawaiian language tradition.
Malia is the Hawaiian form of Mary, meaning 'calm waters' or 'peaceful.' It gained national prominence when Barack and Michelle Obama named their daughter Malia. The name embodies the Hawaiian concept of peaceful coexistence with the ocean, central to island life.
where does the name Malia come from?
Wiktionary identifies Malia chiefly as a Hawaiian form of Mary, via Maria, the Hawaiian biblical equivalent of English Mary; it separately notes that in some cases the name may instead derive from a word meaning calm, though it doesn't extend that to a fuller peaceful waters gloss.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #349 |
| 2024 | #328 |
| 2023 | #274 |
| 2022 | #265 |
| 2021 | #256 |
| 2020 | #259 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
who are famous people named Malia?
- Malia Obama (daughter of President Barack Obama)
- Malia Jones (Hawaiian surfer and model)
what names are similar to Malia?
what names go well with Malia?
Sibling names that share Malia's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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