Total births
698
Girls' name · since 1951
Mala
698 babies named Mala in U.S. Social Security records since 1951, with the highest year being 1956. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 698
- total births
- 1951–2025
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that decade
Mala is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 698 have been recorded since 1951.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Mala has been recorded 698 times among girls since 1951, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1951 to 2025.
- 698 total births
- 1951–2025 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 25% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
698 girls have been named Mala since 1951, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 2025.
- 698
- total births
- 1951–2025
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Mala was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
51 babies were named Mala in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
Mala's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Mala splits its recorded history at 1986: 39% of all births land in the more recent half, 61% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1997 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1956 peak of 51 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Mala at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1956
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1951
Mala popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1951–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 51
- Annual births at peak, across 75 years of records
Mala by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Mala's strongest decade.
175 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Mala births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s
1950s
175 births
- 1960s
1960s
128 births
- 1970s
1970s
83 births
- 1980s
1980s
70 births
- 1990s 60
1990s
60 births
- 2000s 31
2000s
31 births
- 2010s
2010s
99 births
- 2020s 52
2020s
52 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 175 births (25% of all-time use).
How Mala compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Mala's total volume
Mala vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Mala by state
Where Mala concentrates geographically, total births since 1951
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 30 | 4.3% |
| #2 | California | | 5 | 0.7% |
New York share of Mala's total US births 4.3%
Even split
30 of 698 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mala? ▼
698 babies have been named Mala since 1951. It was last recorded in 2025. The peak year was 1956 with 51 births.
When was Mala most popular? ▼
Mala was most popular in the 1950s decade with 175 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Mala most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mala are New York (30 births), California (5 births).
How long has the name Mala been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Mala since 1951 -- 75 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Mala? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mallory, Malia, Malinda, Maliyah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Mala's data
- Mala's decade-level peak was the 1950s (175 total births); usage has since declined to 52 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Malas (30 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Mala
Nearby Names Like Mala
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mala
Mallory Girl
#412 59,044 births
Malia Girl
#328 31,606 births
Malinda Girl
#2857 21,464 births
Maliyah Girl
#589 15,359 births
Malaysia Girl
#855 11,031 births
Compare Mala side by side: Mala vs Mallory Mala vs Malia Mala vs Malinda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1951–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Mala: Baby Name Since 1951 - 698 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mala. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Mala draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.