UK girl's name
Maleah
Of Arabic origin meaning "princess", "queen", or "sovereign".
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.
Maleah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Maleah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 12 births.
This profile covers 86 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2004 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 42% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 86 living people in the UK are called Maleah. 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
- • Maleah ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 12 girls were registered as Maleah.
- • About 86 living people in the UK are estimated to have Maleah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4192
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2009
12 births
Estimated living
86
2026
Meaning
What does Maleah mean?
The given name Maleah is a relatively modern invention, with its precise origins somewhat unclear. It is believed to have emerged in the late 20th century, potentially as a combination of the names Malia and Leah. The name Malia has Hawaiian roots, derived from the Hawaiian word for "Mary." Meanwhile, Leah is a Hebrew name with biblical origins, meaning "weary" or "tired."
While the name Maleah itself does not appear to have any direct historical references or appearances in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its potential constituent parts do have rich histories. The name Malia, for instance, is derived from the Hawaiian version of the name Mary, which has its roots in the Hebrew name Miryam, meaning "bitter" or "beloved."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Maleah was Maleah Brown, an American actress born in 1996. She is known for her roles in television shows such as "The Game" and "Raising Hope." Another notable figure is Maleah Davis, an American basketball player who played for the University of Southern California in the early 2000s.
In the realm of music, Maleah Jacobs is an American singer and songwriter who gained recognition in the early 2010s for her collaborations with artists like Cee Lo Green and Diplo. She has also released her own music and has performed at various festivals and events.
Maleah Grover-Kilshaw, born in 1998, is a Canadian actress who has appeared in television shows like "The Killing" and "The Bletchley Circle." She has also had roles in several films, including "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2."
Lastly, Maleah Loyd was an American child who gained national attention in 2019 when she went missing in Houston, Texas, at the age of 4. Her disappearance sparked a widespread search, and her case brought attention to issues of child safety and the challenges faced by law enforcement in missing persons cases.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Maleah over time
The chart below shows babies named Maleah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 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 Maleah, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 12 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maleah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Maleah 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 | #3295 | 28 | 4 |
| 2010s | #4564 | 40 | 9 |
| 2000s | #4054 | 18 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Maleah
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Maleah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Maleah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Maleah was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Maleah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 12 babies registered as Maleah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Maleah?
Of Arabic origin meaning "princess", "queen", or "sovereign".
How many people are called Maleah in the UK?
A total of 86 babies have been registered as Maleah across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.