NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Malachi

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "my messenger" or "messenger of God".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Malachi is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Malachi popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #290, with 154 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 226 births.

This profile covers 4,567 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 68% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 4,685 living people in the UK are called Malachi. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Malachi ranked #290 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 154 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2014, when 226 boys were registered as Malachi.
  • Malachi ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #312 in 2023.
  • About 4,685 living people in the UK are estimated to have Malachi as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#290

2024

Births in 2024

154

Latest year

Peak year

2014

226 births

Estimated living

4,685

2026

Meaning

What does Malachi mean?

The name Malachi has its roots in the Hebrew language and culture, originating from the biblical period. It is derived from the Hebrew words "mal'akh" meaning "messenger" and "Yah" referring to God. The name Malachi can be translated as "messenger of God" or "my messenger."

Malachi is the last book of the Neviim (Prophets) section in the Hebrew Bible. It is believed to have been written during the 5th century BCE, around the time of the Persian period. The book is attributed to the prophet Malachi, whose name means "my messenger," and it contains prophecies and teachings about the importance of following God's commandments.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malachi can be found in the Book of Malachi itself, where the prophet is referred to by his name. This biblical figure is believed to have lived and prophesied in Jerusalem during the Persian period, around 430 BCE.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Malachi. One of the earliest was Malachi ben Jacob, a Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in the 11th century CE in Cordoba, Spain. Another was Malachi Browne, an Irish-born priest and writer who lived from 1597 to 1648 and served as a Catholic missionary in Persia.

In the 17th century, Malachi Thruston was an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works. He lived from 1636 to 1714. Malachi Malagrowther was the pseudonym used by Sir Walter Scott, the renowned Scottish novelist and poet, when writing a series of letters criticizing the government's policies in the early 19th century.

More recently, Malachi Martin was an Irish Catholic priest and writer who gained recognition for his works on the Catholic Church and his involvement in various controversies. He lived from 1921 to 1999.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Malachi, a name with deep roots in Hebrew culture and biblical tradition, symbolizing the role of a messenger or prophet of God.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Malachi over time

The chart below shows babies named Malachi registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Malachi, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 154 births in 2024, compared with 226 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Malachi
057113170226199620102024

Decades

Malachi by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Malachi was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #322 696 5
2010s #255 2,022 10
2000s #244 1,674 10
1990s #461 175 4

Geography

Where Malachi is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Malachi. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Malachi ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #312 in 2023.

Northern Ireland
5
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Malachi in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#727 in 2024

16 years of NRS records, 77 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#312 in 2023

13 years of NISRA records, 73 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Malachi

  • Malachi Missick

    basketball player

    Turks and Caicos Islands basketball player (born 2007)

    2007-

  • Malachi Payne

    basketball player

    British basketball player (born 2006)

    2006-

  • Malachi Boakye-Yiadom

    basketball player

    British basketball player (born 2002)

    2002-

  • Malachi Fagan-Walcott

    association football player

    English footballer (born 2002)

    2002-

  • Malachi Curran

    politician

    Northern Irish politician

    2000-2025

  • Malachi Napa

    association football player

    English association football player

    1999-

  • Malachi Mitchell-Thomas

    motorcycle racer

    British motorcycle racer (1995–2016)

    1995-2016

  • Malachi Cush

    songwriter

    Northern Irish singer

    1980-

Related

Names similar to Malachi

FAQ

Malachi: questions and answers

How popular is the name Malachi in the UK right now?

In 2024, Malachi was ranked #290 for boys in England and Wales, with 154 births registered.

When was Malachi most popular?

The peak year on record was 2014, with 226 babies registered as Malachi in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Malachi?

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "my messenger" or "messenger of God".

How many people are called Malachi in the UK?

A total of 4,567 babies have been registered as Malachi across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 77 more in Scotland and 73 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Malachi most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Malachi ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #312 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.