Total births
949
Unisex name · since 1968
Malikah
Since 1968, U.S. Social Security records show 949 babies named Malikah, peaking in 1979. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #11314
- among girls today
- 949
- born since 1968
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other girls
Malikah currently ranks #11314 among unisex names in America, with 949 babies recorded since 1968.
Malikah has 949 recorded births among girls since 1968, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #11314 as of the latest data, more common than 36% of girls, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1968 to 2025.
- #11314 among girls today
- 949 born since 1968
- 1990s peak decade
- 36% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Malikah is currently the #11314 unisex name in America, more common than 36% of girls - 949 born since 1968, peaking in the 1990s.
- #11314
- among girls today
- 949
- born since 1968
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other girls
Malikah vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#11314
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 36% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Malikah was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
45 babies were named Malikah in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
How Malikah compares
949 Top 33% higher than 67% 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
Malikah's all-time total is 148% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Malikah | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 949 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 45 | 48 | 19,840 |
Malikah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Malikah splits its recorded history at 1996: 34% of all births land in the more recent half, 66% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1968 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1979 peak of 45 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Malikah at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1979
Current rank
#11,314
Active since
1968
Malikah popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1968–2025
- Peak year (1979)
- 45
- Annual births at peak, across 58 years of records
Malikah popularity over time - boys
84 total births recorded since 2003 (Malikah as boys' name)
Malikah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Malikah's strongest decade.
267 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Malikah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 12
1960s
12 births
- 1970s
1970s
195 births
- 1980s
1980s
235 births
- 1990s
1990s
267 births
- 2000s 102
2000s
102 births
- 2010s 87
2010s
87 births
- 2020s 51
2020s
51 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 267 births (28% of all-time use).
How Malikah 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 Malikah's total volume
Malikah vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Malikah by state
Where Malikah concentrates geographically, total births since 1968
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New Jersey | | 73 | 7.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 50 | 5.3% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 43 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 12 | 1.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 11 | 1.2% |
| #6 | California | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 5 | 0.5% |
New Jersey share of Malikah's total US births 7.7%
Even split
73 of 949 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Malikah? ▼
Since 1968, Social Security records show 949 babies named Malikah. Today it holds rank #11314 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1979, with 45 births.
When was Malikah most popular? ▼
Malikah was most popular in the 1990s decade with 267 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Malikah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Malikah are New Jersey (73 births), New York (50 births), Pennsylvania (43 births).
Is Malikah a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Malikah is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 949 births, and as a boy's name it has 84 births.
How long has the name Malikah been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Malikah since 1968 -- 58 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Malikah? ▼
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 Malikah's data
- Malikah's decade-level peak was the 1990s (267 total births); usage has since declined to 51 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New Jersey records the most Malikahs (73 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New Jersey 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 Malikah
Nearby Names Like Malikah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Malikah
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 Malikah side by side: Malikah vs Mallory Malikah vs Malia Malikah vs Malinda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Malikah
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, 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. "Malikah: #11314 Unisex Name - 949 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/malikah. 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 Malikah 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.