Malakai
Boy name · #213 in 2025 · Well-known
Malakai is currently the #213 boy name in the United States — 1,657 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #491, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,086 boys born in 2025 was named Malakai.
Babies named Malakai per year. Source: SSA.
The 37-year story
Malakai first appears in the Social Security records in 1988, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 1,657 babies and a rank of #213. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Malakai against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Malakai in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Malakai is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Malakai is most common
Geography matters for names, and Malakai is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Malakai is most common in HI (8.6 per 1,000), NM (2.9 per 1,000), ID (2.3 per 1,000), OR (2 per 1,000), WV (1.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Malakai is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Malakai
Statistically, parents drawn to Malakai tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Makai, Zakai, Jakai, Kai, and Messiah.
MakaiZakaiJakaiKaiMessiahMathiasMuhammadMatias
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Malakai | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,657 | #213 |
| 2024 | 1,545 | #232 |
| 2023 | 1,576 | #226 |
| 2022 | 1,527 | #231 |
| 2021 | 1,392 | #255 |
| 2020 | 1,187 | #285 |
| 2019 | 1,078 | #312 |
| 2018 | 839 | #383 |
| 2017 | 815 | #390 |
| 2016 | 732 | #426 |
| 2015 | 600 | #491 |
| 2014 | 545 | #511 |
| 2013 | 470 | #562 |
| 2012 | 454 | #568 |
| 2011 | 384 | #620 |
| 2010 | 443 | #574 |
| 2009 | 398 | #629 |
| 2008 | 395 | #624 |
| 2007 | 323 | #714 |
| 2006 | 296 | #728 |
| 2005 | 282 | #720 |
| 2004 | 236 | #767 |
| 2003 | 191 | #884 |
| 2002 | 180 | #898 |
| 2001 | 111 | #1208 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Malakai a popular boy name?
Malakai ranked #213 among boys in 2025 with 1,657 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #491.
When was the name Malakai most popular?
Malakai peaked in 2025, when 1,657 American boys received the name (ranked #213 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Malakai?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,086 newborn American boys was named Malakai. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.