Boys' name · since 1974
Malek
3,086 babies named Malek in U.S. Social Security records since 1974, with the highest year being 2023. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2,485 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,475 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,086
- born since 1974
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Malek is the #1475 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,086 recorded since 1974.
Social Security Administration records show Malek recorded 3,086 times among boys since 1974, holding rank #1475 nationally today, ahead of 89% of boys, 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 1974 to 2025.
- #2,485 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,475 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,086 born since 1974
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Malek ranks #2,485 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,475 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,086 born since 1974, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,485 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,475 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,086
- born since 1974
- 2010s
- peak decade
Malek's 3,086 recorded births place it above 94.53% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
21 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Malek compares
3,086 Top 17% higher than 83% of 13,930 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
Malek's all-time total is 8x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Malek | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,086 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 151 | 34 | 22,252 |
Malek's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Malek splits its recorded history at 2001: 77% of all births land in the more recent half, 23% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1974 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2023 peak of 151 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Malek popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1974–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 151
- Annual births at peak, across 52 years of records
Malek popularity over time - girls
6 total births recorded since 2011 (Malek as girls' name)
Malek by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (924 births, 30% of the file).
2010s was Malek's strongest decade.
924 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Malek births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 31
1970s
31 births
- 1980s 85
1980s
85 births
- 1990s
1990s
505 births
- 2000s
2000s
780 births
- 2010s
2010s
924 births
- 2020s
2020s
761 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 924 births (30% of all-time use).
How Malek 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 Malek's total volume
Malek by state
Where Malek concentrates geographically, total births since 1974
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 384 | 12.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 264 | 8.6% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 221 | 7.2% |
| #4 | Texas | | 193 | 6.3% |
| #5 | Florida | | 171 | 5.5% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 110 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 86 | 2.8% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 80 | 2.6% |
384 of 3,086 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Malek appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Malek? ▼
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What to do with Malek's data
- Malek's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (924 total births) through the 2020s (761) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Maleks (384 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 Malek
Nearby Names Like Malek
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Malek
Compare Malek side by side: Malek vs Malcolm Malek vs Malachi Malek vs Malik
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Malek
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Malek: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2023)
Similar record span (~51 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, 1974–2025 (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 Malek 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.