girl's name
Malaya
muh-LAY-uh (English)
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 9,162
the United States
#774
2025 births
Malaya is a girl's name with 3 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 351 babies in the United States, ranking #774. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
- Peaked in 2014, when 449 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 9,445 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1977.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Malaya Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 23 |
| 1980s | 33 |
| 1990s | 225 |
| 2000s | 1,980 |
| 2010s | 3,907 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,299 |
How Popular Is Malaya?
In 2025, Malaya was given to 351 babies in the United States, ranking #774 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Malaya Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Malaya
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Malaya Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Malaya over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Malaya
- English muh-LAY-uh
Sibling Names for Malaya
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Malaya — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Malaya
How popular is the name Malaya?
In 2025, Malaya was given to 351 babies in the United States, ranking #774 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Malaya a girl's or a boy's name?
Malaya is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Malaya?
Malaya has 3 syllables.
When was Malaya most popular?
Malaya peaked in 2014, when 449 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Malaya a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Malaya currently ranks #774 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.