boy's name
Malik
MAH-lik
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 71,358
the United States
#437
2025 births
Malik means king, and the Arabic distinguishes two words a single letter apart — malik is a king, mālik an owner, and one of God's names in the Qur'an is the second rather than the first.
- Malik is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in 1996, when 4,050 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,579 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1949.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Malik over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1940s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 6 |
| 1960s | 139 |
| 1970s | 1,380 |
| 1980s | 1,448 |
| 1990s | 18,081 |
| 2000s | 14,815 |
| 2010s | 9,237 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,755 |
What Malik means
Malik means king. A closely related Arabic word, differing only in vowel length, means an owner or master, and the two are frequently confused even by fluent speakers.
Where Malik comes from
Malik is the Arabic malik, a king, from a Semitic root shared with the Hebrew melekh — the same element in Moloch and in Malachi. The near-identical mālik, with a long first vowel, means an owner or possessor, and it is that form which appears in the Qur'an's opening chapter in one of the two canonical readings. So a single vowel separates the king from the owner, and both are used as names. The Malinke and the Mali empire carry a related root.
Malik in use
Malik peaked in the United States in 1996, when 4,050 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in all seven markets we track — 156th in Canada, 211th in France on 260 births, 282nd in England and Wales on 160, 369th in Northern Ireland, 437th in the United States on 724, 457th in Scotland on 7 and 763rd in Ireland — across 71,358 lifetime births. France ranking an Arabic name highest is what its population would predict.
How popular is Malik?
In 2025, Malik was given to 724 babies in the United States, ranking #437 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Malik 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.
How Malik is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mâlik | Mâlik is a rare spelling of Malik, written with a circumflex and recorded about 50 times, mostly in France. | 50 |
Names that peaked alongside Malik
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Malik also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Malik over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Malik in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Malik
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Malik — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Malik
What does the name Malik mean?
King — the Arabic malik, from a root shared with the Hebrew melekh.
Is there a second Arabic word?
Yes — mālik, with a long first vowel, means an owner. A single vowel separates them.
Is Malik related to Malachi?
Through the same Semitic root, yes.
Where is Malik used?
All six markets we track, strongest in France at 211th.
How popular is the name Malik?
In 2025, Malik was given to 724 babies in the United States, ranking #437 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Malik a girl's or a boy's name?
Malik is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Malik?
Malik has 2 syllables.
When was Malik most popular?
Malik peaked in 1996, when 4,050 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Malik a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Malik currently ranks #156 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.