UK girl's name
Malika
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "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.
Malika is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Malika popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1491, with 21 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 62 births.
This profile covers 1,048 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 34% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,048 living people in the UK are called Malika. 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
- • Malika ranked #1491 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 21 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 62 girls were registered as Malika.
- • Malika ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #760 in 2022.
- • About 1,048 living people in the UK are estimated to have Malika as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1491
2024
Births in 2024
21
Latest year
Peak year
2007
62 births
Estimated living
1,048
2026
Meaning
What does Malika mean?
The name Malika originates from the Arabic language, derived from the word "malik" meaning "king" or "sovereign." It is a feminine form of the Arabic word, often translated as "queen" or "princess." The name can be traced back to the early days of Islamic civilization in the 7th century AD.
During the medieval period, the name Malika was popular among the ruling classes and nobility in various Islamic empires and dynasties, such as the Abbasids, Fatimids, and Ottomans. It was commonly given to daughters of caliphs, sultans, and other members of the royal families.
One of the earliest and most famous references to the name Malika can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The name is mentioned in Surah An-Naml (The Ant), where it refers to the Queen of Sheba, who ruled over the ancient Kingdom of Saba (present-day Yemen).
Throughout history, there have been several notable women who bore the name Malika. Malika al-Sayyida Hurra (1485-1561) was a renowned Andalusian-born queen and military leader who governed the Kingdom of Tétouan in present-day Morocco. Malika Oufkir (1953-1988) was a Moroccan writer and former prisoner who authored the autobiographical book "La Prisonnière" (The Prisoner).
Malika Ayane (born 1984) is an Italian singer-songwriter of Moroccan descent, known for her unique blend of pop, soul, and world music. Malika Favre (born 1982) is a French illustrator and artist who has worked for brands like The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Penguin Books.
Malika Haqq (born 1983) is an American television personality and best friend of Khloe Kardashian, who has appeared on the reality shows "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "Dash Dolls." Malika Arora Khan (born 1973) is an Indian actress, model, and television presenter, best known for her work in Bollywood films and reality shows.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Malika over time
The chart below shows babies named Malika 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 Malika, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 21 births in 2024, compared with 62 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malika by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Malika 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 | #1060 | 167 | 5 |
| 2010s | #966 | 379 | 10 |
| 2000s | #719 | 432 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1137 | 70 | 4 |
Geography
Where Malika is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Malika. 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.
Malika ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #760 in 2022.
Across the UK
Malika in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#760 in 2022
2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Malika
-
Malika Zouhali-Worrall
journalist; film director; documentarian
British journalist and documentarian
2000-
-
Malika Booker
writer; poet
British poet
1970-
Related
Names similar to Malika
- 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
Malika: questions and answers
How popular is the name Malika in the UK right now?
In 2024, Malika was ranked #1491 for girls in England and Wales, with 21 births registered.
When was Malika most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 62 babies registered as Malika in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Malika?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "queen" or "sovereign".
How many people are called Malika in the UK?
A total of 1,048 babies have been registered as Malika across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.
Where is Malika most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Malika ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #760 in 2022. 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.