What does Farah mean?
Farah means “joy” or “happiness” in Arabic.
What does Malika mean?
Arabic 'malika' is the feminine of 'malik', meaning 'queen', from the same Semitic root m-l-k. A literal 'queen' name across the Arabic-speaking world.
Farah vs Malika
Which is more popular?
Farah is more popular than Malika today: about 164 US babies were given the name Farah in 2025, compared with 0 named Malika.
| Farah | Malika | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Joy, happiness | queen |
| Origin | Arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | FAH-rah | mah-LEE-kah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1960 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2012 (178) | 1996 (183) |
| In 2025 | 164 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Vintage |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Farah
Malika
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Farah | Malika |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 973 | 459 |
| 2010s | 1,580 | 729 |
| 2000s | 1,185 | 740 |
| 1990s | 863 | 1,377 |
| 1980s | 818 | 813 |
| 1970s | 710 | 819 |
| 1960s | 149 | 30 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Farah or Malika more popular?
Farah is more popular than Malika today: about 164 US babies were given the name Farah in 2025, compared with 0 named Malika.
What is the difference between Farah and Malika?
Farah means Joy, happiness (Arabic origin), while Malika means queen (arabic origin).
Which name is older, Farah or Malika?
In US records, Farah first appears in 1960 and Malika in 0, so Malika has the longer recorded history.