Maliyah
Girl name · #626 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Maliyah? In official American birth records, Maliyah has been tracked continuously since 1994, giving it 31 years of documented American history.
Maliyah ranks #626 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 467 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #434, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,854 girls born in 2025 was named Maliyah.
Babies named Maliyah per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 31-year story
Maliyah first appears in the Social Security records in 1994, when 21 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2009, when 1,117 girls were named Maliyah — good for #295 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Maliyah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Maliyah in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Maliyah is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Maliyah will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Maliyah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Maliyah is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Maliyah is most common in MD (1 per 1,000), LA (0.7 per 1,000), AL (0.6 per 1,000), GA (0.6 per 1,000), SC (0.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Maliyah is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Maliyah
Statistically, parents drawn to Maliyah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jaliyah, Janiyah, Zaniyah, Amiyah, and Aniyah.
JaliyahJaniyahZaniyahAmiyahAniyahZariyahMalayahMariyah
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Maliyah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 467 | #626 |
| 2024 | 515 | #588 |
| 2023 | 572 | #531 |
| 2022 | 595 | #524 |
| 2021 | 586 | #527 |
| 2020 | 665 | #464 |
| 2019 | 766 | #408 |
| 2018 | 740 | #420 |
| 2017 | 790 | #395 |
| 2016 | 758 | #429 |
| 2015 | 728 | #434 |
| 2014 | 735 | #436 |
| 2013 | 799 | #389 |
| 2012 | 823 | #380 |
| 2011 | 912 | #351 |
| 2010 | 890 | #358 |
| 2009 | 1,117 | #295 |
| 2008 | 481 | #640 |
| 2007 | 384 | #762 |
| 2006 | 306 | #869 |
| 2005 | 296 | #853 |
| 2004 | 260 | #926 |
| 2003 | 296 | #827 |
| 2002 | 249 | #898 |
| 2001 | 190 | #1111 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Maliyah?
In official American birth records, the name Maliyah first appeared in 1994 (over 31 years ago), when 21 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 31 years.
Is Maliyah a popular girl name?
Maliyah ranked #626 among girls in 2025 with 467 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #434.
When was the name Maliyah most popular?
Maliyah peaked in 2009, when 1,117 American girls received the name (ranked #295 that year). Since 2009 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Maliyah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,854 newborn American girls was named Maliyah. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.