Total births
17,830
Boys' name · since 1988
Malakai
Malakai has 17,830 recorded births since 1988 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #232
- among boys today
- 17,830
- born since 1988
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Malakai is the #232 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 17,830 recorded since 1988.
Social Security Administration records show Malakai recorded 17,830 times among boys since 1988, holding rank #232 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1988 to 2025.
- #232 among boys today
- 17,830 born since 1988
- 2020s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Malakai is currently the #232 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 17,830 born since 1988, peaking in the 2020s.
- #232
- among boys today
- 17,830
- born since 1988
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Malakai vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#232
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
50% of everyone ever named Malakai was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
1,657 babies were named Malakai in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Malakai compares
17,830 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Malakai's all-time total is 49x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Malakai | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 17,830 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,657 | 23 | 22,252 |
Malakai's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Malakai splits its recorded history at 2007: 92% of all births land in the more recent half, 8% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1992 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 1,657 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Malakai at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#232
Active since
1988
Malakai popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1988–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 1,657
- Annual births at peak, across 38 years of records
Malakai popularity over time - girls
57 total births recorded since 2006 (Malakai as girls' name)
Malakai by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Malakai's strongest decade.
8,884 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Malakai births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 7
1980s
7 births
- 1990s 136
1990s
136 births
- 2000s 2,443
2000s
2,443 births
- 2010s
2010s
6,360 births
- 2020s
2020s
8,884 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 8,884 births (50% of all-time use).
How Malakai compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Malakai's total volume
Malakai vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Malakai by state
Where Malakai concentrates geographically, total births since 1988
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,673 | 15.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,752 | 9.8% |
| #3 | Florida | | 1,301 | 7.3% |
| #4 | Washington | | 628 | 3.5% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 558 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 551 | 3.1% |
| #7 | New York | | 539 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 501 | 2.8% |
California share of Malakai's total US births 15.0%
Even split
2,673 of 17,830 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Malakai appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Malakai? ▼
Since 1988, Social Security records show 17,830 babies named Malakai. Today it holds rank #232 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2025, with 1,657 births.
When was Malakai most popular? ▼
Malakai was most popular in the 2020s decade with 8,884 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Malakai most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Malakai are California (2,673 births), Texas (1,752 births), Florida (1,301 births).
How long has the name Malakai been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Malakai since 1988 -- 38 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Malakai? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Malcolm, Malachi, Malik, Malcom, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Malakai's data
- California records the most Malakais (2,673 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 Malakai
Nearby Names Like Malakai
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Malakai
Malcolm Boy
#314 70,209 births
Malachi Boy
#149 65,758 births
Malik Boy
#428 49,607 births
Malcom Boy
#1737 5,864 births
Malaki Boy
#1377 4,786 births
Compare Malakai side by side: Malakai vs Malcolm Malakai vs Malachi Malakai vs Malik
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Malakai
Milan #231
18,608 births · Peak 2024
Richard #233
2,577,552 births · Peak 1946
Brandon #230
770,509 births · Peak 1992
Ismael #234
44,216 births · Peak 2024
Riley #229
105,025 births · Peak 2006
Kyrie #235
18,612 births · Peak 2017
Edward #228
1,303,594 births · Peak 1924
Louis #236
406,470 births · Peak 1921
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, 1988–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Malakai: #232 Boys' Name - 17,830 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/malakai. 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 Malakai 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.