Total births
2,662
Girls' name · since 1968
Malaika
2,662 babies named Malaika in U.S. Social Security records since 1968, with the highest year being 2006. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2209
- among girls today
- 2,662
- born since 1968
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Malaika is the #2209 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 2,662 recorded since 1968.
Social Security Administration records show Malaika recorded 2,662 times among girls since 1968, holding rank #2209 nationally today, ahead of 88% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1968 to 2025.
- #2209 among girls today
- 2,662 born since 1968
- 2000s peak decade
- 88% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Malaika is currently the #2209 girls' name in America, more common than 88% of girls - 2,662 born since 1968, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2209
- among girls today
- 2,662
- born since 1968
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other girls
Malaika vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2209
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 88% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Malaika was born in this single decade.
2006
Single peak year
86 babies were named Malaika in 2006 - its busiest year on record.
How Malaika compares
2,662 Top 19% higher than 81% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Malaika's all-time total is 7x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Malaika | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,662 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 86 | 48 | 19,840 |
Malaika's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Malaika's full recorded timeline at 1997, 68% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 32% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1969, with just 7 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2006 peak of 86 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Malaika at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2006
Current rank
#2,209
Active since
1968
Malaika popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1968–2025
- Peak year (2006)
- 86
- Annual births at peak, across 58 years of records
Malaika by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Malaika's strongest decade.
681 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Malaika births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 15
1960s
15 births
- 1970s
1970s
423 births
- 1980s 174
1980s
174 births
- 1990s
1990s
331 births
- 2000s
2000s
681 births
- 2010s
2010s
598 births
- 2020s
2020s
440 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 681 births (26% of all-time use).
How Malaika 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 Malaika's total volume
Malaika vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Malaika by state
Where Malaika concentrates geographically, total births since 1968
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 270 | 10.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 246 | 9.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 122 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Florida | | 58 | 2.2% |
| #5 | Maryland | | 46 | 1.7% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 27 | 1.0% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 26 | 1.0% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 22 | 0.8% |
California share of Malaika's total US births 10.1%
Even split
270 of 2,662 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 19 reporting states.
Malaika appears in 19 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Malaika? ▼
2,662 babies have been named Malaika since 1968. It currently ranks #2209 among girls. The peak year was 2006 with 86 births.
When was Malaika most popular? ▼
Malaika was most popular in the 2000s decade with 681 total births. The single peak year was 2006.
Where is Malaika most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Malaika are California (270 births), New York (246 births), Texas (122 births).
How long has the name Malaika been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Malaika since 1968 -- 58 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Malaika? ▼
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 Malaika's data
- Malaika's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (681 total births) through the 2020s (440) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Malaikas (270 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Malaika
Nearby Names Like Malaika
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Malaika
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 Malaika side by side: Malaika vs Mallory Malaika vs Malia Malaika vs Malinda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Malaika
Ivette #2208
11,175 births · Peak 1991
Elsy #2210
1,832 births · Peak 2020
Malina #2207
4,452 births · Peak 2009
Nirvana #2211
1,634 births · Peak 2022
Maryann #2206
62,953 births · Peak 1943
Yarely #2212
4,040 births · Peak 2008
Doris #2205
462,548 births · Peak 1928
Eternity #2213
2,225 births · Peak 2009
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1968–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Malaika: #2209 Girls' Name - 2,662 Births, Peak 2006." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/malaika. 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 Malaika 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 June 2026.