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Maliah

♀ Girl

Pronounced muh-LY-uh /məˈlaɪ.ə/Medium

Meaning: Modern coined respelling of Malia, a Hawaiian form of Mary/Maria; also influenced by trendy '-iah' endings.Medium

In 30 seconds: Maliah is a modern respelling of Malia, the Hawaiian form of Mary or Maria, dressed up with a fashionable '-iah' ending.
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Origin MediumModern American, Hawaiian
MeaningModern coined respelling of Malia, a Hawaiian form of Mary/Maria; also influenced by trendy '-iah' endings.
U.S. rank (2024)#1674 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births122 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2009
Total births (all-time)≈ 5,270

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200919912024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

At its root Maliah traces back through Malia to Mary and Maria, one of the most enduring names in the Western world. The Hawaiian Malia softened that name into three flowing syllables, and Maliah simply restyles the spelling for contemporary American taste. The extra 'h' adds nothing to the meaning but plenty to the look.

Its many spellings, Maleah, Maliyah, Malea and the accented Mália, show how loosely the name is written, all chasing the same warm sound. The straightforward Maria sits behind them all.

Did you know? Maliah is a spelling variant of Malia, so it keeps the same core meaning of 'origin uncertain' while changing the visual style.
Overall data confidence 70%
Behind the Name - Maliah — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

MaleahMaliyahMariaMaleaMália

Nicknames

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If you like Maliah…

Malia— The Hawaiian form of Mary that Maliah respells.
Maliyah— A listed variant chasing the same sound with a different spelling.
Maria— The classic name Maliah ultimately descends from.

Frequently Asked

What does the name Maliah mean?

Maliah is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Maliah?

It's commonly said muh-LY-uh /məˈlaɪ.ə/.

Is Maliah a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Maliah is used as a girl name.

How popular is Maliah?

In 2024, Maliah ranked #1674 in the U.S. for girls, with 122 births recorded.