Girls' name · since 1977
Malaya
Since 1977, U.S. Social Security records show 8,467 babies named Malaya, peaking in 2014. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,857 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #775 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 8,467
- born since 1977
- 2010s
- peak decade
8,467 babies have been named Malaya since 1977, making it today's #775 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Malaya recorded 8,467 times among girls since 1977, holding rank #775 nationally today, ahead of 96% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1977 to 2025.
- #1,857 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #775 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 8,467 born since 1977
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Malaya ranks #1,857 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #775 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 8,467 born since 1977, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1,857 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #775 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 8,467
- born since 1977
- 2010s
- peak decade
Malaya's 8,467 recorded births place it above 97.43% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
37 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Malaya compares
8,467 Top 11% higher than 89% of 17,297 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
Malaya's all-time total is 23x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Malaya | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,467 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 449 | 21 | 19,840 |
Malaya's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Malaya's full recorded timeline at 2003, 93% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 7% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1978, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2014 peak of 449 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Malaya popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1977–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 449
- Annual births at peak, across 49 years of records
Malaya by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (3,907 births, 46% of the file).
2010s was Malaya's strongest decade.
3,907 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Malaya births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 23
1970s
23 births
- 1980s 33
1980s
33 births
- 1990s 225
1990s
225 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,980 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,907 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,299 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 3,907 births (46% of all-time use).
How Malaya 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 Malaya's total volume
Malaya by state
Where Malaya concentrates geographically, total births since 1977
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 963 | 11.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 562 | 6.6% |
| #3 | Florida | | 499 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 420 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 375 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 366 | 4.3% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 348 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 331 | 3.9% |
963 of 8,467 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Malaya appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Malaya? ▼
Where does Malaya sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Malaya most popular? ▼
Where is Malaya most popular? ▼
How long has the name Malaya been used? ▼
What names are similar to Malaya? ▼
What to do with Malaya's data
- Malaya's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (3,907 total births) through the 2020s (2,299) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Malayas (963 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Malaya
Nearby Names Like Malaya
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Malaya
Compare Malaya side by side: Malaya vs Mallory Malaya vs Malia Malaya vs Malinda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Malaya
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Malaya: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2014)
Similar record span (~48 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1977–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Malaya 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 August 2026.