Malia
Meaning of Malia
Malia drifts onto the page like a Pacific breeze meeting an Amalfi sunset—brief, melodic, and irresistibly warm. Hawaiian at heart, the name is the island rendering of Maria, itself born from the ancient Hebrew Miryam and usually translated as “beloved” or, by poetic license, “rebellious sea.” Modern tides carried Malia worldwide when President Barack Obama’s eldest daughter stepped into the public eye, and American popularity charts have shown a gentle surf of interest ever since. To Italian ears, the word malìa also murmurs “enchantment,” adding a dash of espresso-flavored allure. Elegant yet relaxed, formal yet sun-kissed, Malia can stroll the shoreline in flip-flops, slip into a silk dress for a festa, and somehow never spill the gelato—a name as easy to love as a summer evening on the coast.
Pronunciation
American English,Hawaiian
- Pronunced as mah-LEE-uh (/mɑˈliə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Malia
| Malia Mazia Bouattia, a University of Birmingham alumna, became the first female Black British and Muslim president of the UK NUS in 2016 and lost her 2017 reelection bid to Shakira Martin. |
| Malia Simphiwe Baker is a Botswana-born Canadian actress best known for playing Mary Anne Spier in The Baby-Sitters Club, Gabby Lewis in Are You Afraid of the Dark, and Chloe Charming in the Descendants films. |
| Malia Manuel is a Hawaiian surfer who won the US Open of Surfing at 14, was 2012 Rookie of the Year, and ranked fifth on the 2014 ASP World Tour. |
| Malia Jones is an American surfer and model. |
| Malia Metella is a French freestyle swimmer from French Guiana who represented France at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, winning silver in the 50 meter freestyle in 2004. |
