Malek
Boy name · #1475 in 2025 · Very rare
Malek is currently the #1475 boy name in the United States — 121 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2001, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 14,876 boys born in 2025 was named Malek.
Babies named Malek per year. Source: SSA.
The 51-year story
Malek first appears in the Social Security records in 1974, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 151 babies and a rank of #1271. 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 Malek against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Malek in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Malek is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Malek will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Malek is most common
State-level data for Malek is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Malek
Statistically, parents drawn to Malek tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Zarek, Mahdi, Mayer, Merrick, and Mylan.
ZarekMahdiMayerMerrickMylanMavrickNarekMikael
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Malek | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 121 | #1466 |
| 2024 | 128 | #1426 |
| 2023 | 151 | #1271 |
| 2022 | 118 | #1523 |
| 2021 | 118 | #1503 |
| 2020 | 125 | #1390 |
| 2019 | 130 | #1372 |
| 2018 | 100 | #1625 |
| 2017 | 93 | #1695 |
| 2016 | 95 | #1663 |
| 2015 | 72 | #2001 |
| 2014 | 96 | #1619 |
| 2013 | 83 | #1754 |
| 2012 | 97 | #1602 |
| 2011 | 81 | #1780 |
| 2010 | 77 | #1868 |
| 2009 | 98 | #1618 |
| 2008 | 88 | #1719 |
| 2007 | 69 | #2016 |
| 2006 | 71 | #1893 |
| 2005 | 84 | #1619 |
| 2004 | 71 | #1763 |
| 2003 | 71 | #1717 |
| 2002 | 72 | #1647 |
| 2001 | 82 | #1481 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Malek a popular boy name?
Malek ranked #1475 among boys in 2025 with 121 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2001.
When was the name Malek most popular?
Malek peaked in 2023, when 151 American boys received the name (ranked #1271 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Malek?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 14,876 newborn American boys was named Malek. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
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.