Total births
637
Girls' name · since 1964
Malisha
637 babies named Malisha in U.S. Social Security records since 1964, with the highest year being 1981. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #15662
- among girls today
- 637
- born since 1964
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Malisha is the #15662 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 637 recorded since 1964.
Malisha has 637 recorded births among girls since 1964, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #15662 as of the latest data, more common than 12% of girls, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1964 to 2024.
- #15662 among girls today
- 637 born since 1964
- 1980s peak decade
- 12% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Malisha is currently the #15662 girls' name in America, more common than 12% of girls - 637 born since 1964, peaking in the 1980s.
- #15662
- among girls today
- 637
- born since 1964
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other girls
Malisha vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15662
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 12% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Malisha was born in this single decade.
1981
Single peak year
43 babies were named Malisha in 1981 - its busiest year on record.
How Malisha compares
637 Top 40% higher than 60% 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
Malisha's all-time total is 67% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Malisha | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 637 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 43 | 48 | 19,840 |
Malisha's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Malisha splits its recorded history at 1989: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1964 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1981 peak of 43 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Malisha at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1981
Current rank
#15,662
Active since
1964
Malisha popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1964–2024
- Peak year (1981)
- 43
- Annual births at peak, across 61 years of records
Malisha by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Malisha's strongest decade.
181 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Malisha births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 29
1960s
29 births
- 1970s
1970s
159 births
- 1980s
1980s
181 births
- 1990s
1990s
166 births
- 2000s
2000s
81 births
- 2010s 10
2010s
10 births
- 2020s 11
2020s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 181 births (28% of all-time use).
How Malisha 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 Malisha's total volume
Malisha vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Malisha by state
Where Malisha concentrates geographically, total births since 1964
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6 | 0.9% |
| #2 | Florida | | 5 | 0.8% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.8% |
California share of Malisha's total US births 0.9%
Even split
6 of 637 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Malisha? ▼
Since 1964, Social Security records show 637 babies named Malisha. Today it holds rank #15662 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1981, with 43 births.
When was Malisha most popular? ▼
Malisha was most popular in the 1980s decade with 181 total births. The single peak year was 1981.
Where is Malisha most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Malisha are California (6 births), Florida (5 births), Illinois (5 births).
How long has the name Malisha been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Malisha since 1964 -- 61 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Malisha? ▼
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 Malisha's data
- Malisha's decade-level peak was the 1980s (181 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Malishas (6 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 Malisha
Nearby Names Like Malisha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Malisha
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 Malisha side by side: Malisha vs Mallory Malisha vs Malia Malisha vs Malinda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Malisha
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, 1964–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Malisha: #15662 Girls' Name - 637 Births, Peak 1981." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/malisha. 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 Malisha 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.