Malakai
Boy name · #213 in 2025 · Uniqueness 36/100
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, 1880–2025. 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?
Malakai scores 36 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Malakai is most common
Geography matters for names, and Malakai is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Malakais were CA (231), TX (200), FL (128), OH (65), NC (60). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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. It scores 36/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.