Baby name
REVIVING
🇩🇪 🇺🇸 Malia
/mah · LEE · ah/
Meaning
“Beloved or sea of bitterness”
Hawaiian form of Mary, from the Hebrew Miriam meaning beloved or sea of bitterness; brought to broader attention as the name of President Obama's daughter.
Nicknames
none
Vibe
warm
How it ages.
Beautiful and specific; the Obama association boosted it without making it feel derivative.
The cultural moment.
Rose in US rankings after 2008; still in the top 200 and aging gracefully.