NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Malik

A masculine Arabic name meaning king, leader, 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.

Malik is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Malik popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #264, with 177 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 177 births.

This profile covers 2,293 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.

Malik is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 2,361 living people in the UK are called Malik. 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

  • Malik ranked #264 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 177 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 177 boys were registered as Malik.
  • Malik ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #339 in 2024.
  • About 2,361 living people in the UK are estimated to have Malik as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.9% of Malik registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#264

2024

Births in 2024

177

Latest year

Peak year

2024

177 births

Estimated living

2,361

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Malik

In England and Wales birth records, Malik has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.9% of registrations are for boys and 0.1% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

100% boys
Boys2,293 (99.9%)Girls3 (0.1%)

Malik registered for boys

  • Ranked #264 in 2024
  • 177 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (177 births)

Malik registered for girls

  • Ranked #4,373 in 2003
  • 3 girls registered in 2003
  • Peak: 2003 (3 births)

Meaning

What does Malik mean?

The name Malik originated from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Middle Eastern and Islamic cultures. It is derived from the Arabic word "malik," which means "king" or "sovereign ruler." The name can be traced back to ancient times and has been used since the early days of Islam.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Malik is in the Quran, where it is mentioned as one of the attributes of Allah, the supreme ruler and king of the universe. This association with divine sovereignty and kingship has contributed to the name's prestige and popularity in the Islamic world.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Malik. One of the most famous is Malik ibn Anas (715-795 CE), an influential Islamic scholar and the founder of the Maliki school of jurisprudence, one of the four major Sunni schools of Islamic law. His magnum opus, "Al-Muwatta," is considered one of the earliest and most authoritative collections of hadith (sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad).

Another prominent figure named Malik was Malik al-Kamil (1180-1238 CE), a Sultan of Egypt and Syria during the Ayyubid dynasty. He is best known for his participation in the Sixth Crusade and his negotiations with the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, which led to a temporary peace agreement and the return of Jerusalem to Muslim control.

In the field of literature, Malik al-Shuara (996-1057 CE), also known as Abul Ala al-Maarri, was a renowned Arab philosopher, poet, and writer from Syria. He was a prolific author known for his biting satire and skepticism towards religious dogma.

Malik Ambar (1549-1626 CE) was an influential military leader and prime minister of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate in the Deccan region of India. Despite being brought to India as a slave, he rose through the ranks and played a significant role in the struggle against the Mughal Empire.

In more recent times, Malik Ghulam Muhammad (1895-1956) was a prominent Pakistani poet and writer who is considered one of the pioneers of modern Urdu poetry. His works, such as "Shahrah-e-Kashmir" and "Divan-e-Malik," are celebrated for their lyrical beauty and social commentary.

While these are just a few examples, the name Malik has been associated with many influential figures throughout history, reflecting its deep roots in Arabic and Islamic culture and its connotations of authority, sovereignty, and leadership.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Malik over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Malik in England and Wales, 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 Malik, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 177 births in 2024, compared with 177 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
04489133177199620102024

Decades

Malik by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Malik 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 #324 717 5
2010s #462 872 10
2000s #514 524 10
1990s #463 180 4

Geography

Where Malik is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Malik. 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.

Malik ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #339 in 2024.

Scotland
7
Northern Ireland
4

Across the UK

Malik in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#432 in 2024

16 years of NRS records, 77 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#339 in 2024

2 years of NISRA records, 7 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Malik

  • Malik Mothersille

    association football player

    English footballer (born 2003)

    2003-

  • Malik Owolabi-Belewu

    association football player

    English professional footballer

    2002-

  • Malik Buari

    association football player

    English footballer

    1984-

  • Malik Al Nasir

    composer; record producer

    British author and poet

    1966-

  • Malik Abdul

  • Malik Rofidi

    politician

    Labour Party candidate in the 2019 United Kingdom General Election

  • Malik Nazar

    political candidate

  • Malik Haris

Related

Names similar to Malik

FAQ

Malik: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Malik was ranked #264 for boys in England and Wales, with 177 births registered.

When was Malik most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 177 babies registered as Malik in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Malik?

A masculine Arabic name meaning king, leader, or sovereign.

How many people are called Malik in the UK?

A total of 2,293 babies have been registered as Malik across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 77 more in Scotland and 7 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Malik most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Malik ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #339 in 2024. 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.