Maleah
Girl name · #1213 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Maleah? In official American birth records, Maleah has been tracked continuously since 1956, giving it 69 years of documented American history.
Maleah is currently the #1213 girl name in the United States — 187 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #832, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,626 girls born in 2025 was named Maleah.
The 69-year story
Maleah first appears in the Social Security records in 1956, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2009, when 508 girls were named Maleah — good for #594 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.
Babies named Maleah per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Maleah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Maleah in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Maleah is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Maleah will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Maleah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Maleah is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Maleah is most common in PA (0.3 per 1,000), GA (0.3 per 1,000), NC (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Maleah is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Maleah
Statistically, parents drawn to Maleah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Neveah, Kaleah, Aleah, Maliah, and Jaleah.
NeveahKaleahAleahMaliahJaleahTaleahMiahMyah
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Maleah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 187 | #1211 |
| 2024 | 196 | #1207 |
| 2023 | 223 | #1098 |
| 2022 | 266 | #992 |
| 2021 | 310 | #879 |
| 2020 | 309 | #871 |
| 2019 | 424 | #684 |
| 2018 | 342 | #796 |
| 2017 | 366 | #760 |
| 2016 | 377 | #757 |
| 2015 | 337 | #832 |
| 2014 | 415 | #683 |
| 2013 | 461 | #608 |
| 2012 | 449 | #637 |
| 2011 | 471 | #614 |
| 2010 | 473 | #622 |
| 2009 | 508 | #594 |
| 2008 | 337 | #839 |
| 2007 | 375 | #772 |
| 2006 | 320 | #838 |
| 2005 | 268 | #928 |
| 2004 | 266 | #908 |
| 2003 | 219 | #1043 |
| 2002 | 256 | #882 |
| 2001 | 214 | #1001 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Maleah?
In official American birth records, the name Maleah first appeared in 1956 (over 69 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 69 years.
Is Maleah a popular girl name?
Maleah ranked #1213 among girls in 2025 with 187 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #832.
When was the name Maleah most popular?
Maleah peaked in 2009, when 508 American girls received the name (ranked #594 that year). Since 2009 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Maleah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,626 newborn American girls was named Maleah. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.