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.
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
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.
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
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
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.