What does Farah mean?
Farah means “joy” or “happiness” in Arabic.
What does Malak mean?
Malak means “angel” in Arabic.
Farah vs Malak
Which is more popular?
Farah is more popular than Malak today: about 164 US babies were given the name Farah in 2025, compared with 137 named Malak.
| Farah | Malak | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Joy, happiness | Angel |
| Origin | Arabic | Arabic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | FAH-rah | MAL-ak |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1960 | 1983 |
| Peak year | 2012 (178) | 2011 (210) |
| In 2025 | 164 | 137 |
| Trend | Steady | Steady |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Farah
Malak
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Farah | Malak |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 973 | 760 |
| 2010s | 1,580 | 1,706 |
| 2000s | 1,185 | 1,146 |
| 1990s | 863 | 255 |
| 1980s | 818 | 27 |
| 1970s | 710 | 0 |
| 1960s | 149 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Farah or Malak more popular?
Farah is more popular than Malak today: about 164 US babies were given the name Farah in 2025, compared with 137 named Malak.
What is the difference between Farah and Malak?
Farah means Joy, happiness (Arabic origin), while Malak means Angel (Arabic origin).
Which name is older, Farah or Malak?
In US records, Farah first appears in 1960 and Malak in 1983, so Farah has the longer recorded history.