Malka

♀ Girl

Pronounced MAL-kuh /ˈmæl.kə/High

Meaning: Queen; from Hebrew malka (queen), related to melech (king)High

In 30 seconds: A Hebrew name meaning 'queen,' from the same root as the male name Melech (king). It has been a traditional name in Ashkenazi Jewish communities for centuries and is now gaining broader U.S. attention.

💕 Browse more names

Origin HighHebrew

MeaningQueen; from Hebrew malka (queen), related to melech (king)

U.S. rank (2025)#1011 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births248 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2024

Total births (all-time)≈ 6,498

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Malka derives from the Hebrew root m-l-k (to reign), which gives both melech (king) and malka (queen). It has been used as a given name in Hebrew-speaking and Jewish communities for at least two millennia. Queen Malka appears in various rabbinical texts.

Malka has been used primarily in Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jewish communities. Its appearance in broader U.S. birth data reflects both its traditional use in Jewish families and growing interest in rare, meaningful biblical names. It ranked #986 for girls in 2024.

Did you know? Malka is the Hebrew word for queen and appears in the Talmud. It is also the name of an archangel in some Jewish mystical traditions — the Sephirot of Malkuth (kingdom) in Kabbalah is sometimes personified as Queen Malka.

Overall data confidence 95%

Behind the Name — Malka — Hebrew etymologyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

MalkeMalkah

Nicknames

MalMally

Famous Bearers

★Malka Jaan (1855–1907)
Indian classical singer, Kathak dancer, and poet who became one of the most celebrated courtesans of 19th-century Banaras and Calcutta, earning the honorific Badi Malka Jaan (Elder Queen) to distinguish her from three other renowned singers of the same name. Born Adeline Victoria Hemmings in British India, she is best remembered as the mother and musical mentor of Gauhar Jaan, India's first professional recording artist.
★Malka Locker (1887–1990)
Ukrainian-born Israeli poet who wrote primarily in Yiddish and published over six volumes of verse across a remarkable career that began only when she was forty-two years old. She settled permanently in Israel in 1948 and died in Jerusalem at the age of 103, leaving a body of work that placed her among the significant female voices in 20th-century Yiddish literature.

If you like Malka…

Reina— Spanish-origin name also meaning queen, a direct equivalent

Devorah— classic Hebrew name meaning bee, from the same tradition

Rivka— Hebrew form of Rebecca, similarly traditional in Ashkenazi communities

Leah— biblical Hebrew name used across Jewish and non-Jewish communities

Explore names like Malka

By themehebrew biblical two-syllable jewish royal

By meaningRoyal / Noble

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Malka mean?

Malka means 'queen' in Hebrew, from the root m-l-k (to reign), shared with melech (king).

How do you pronounce Malka?

It's said MAL-kuh — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Malka a boy or girl name?

Malka is used as a girls' name.

How popular is Malka?

Malka ranked #986 for U.S. girls in 2024.