| Malak | Safa | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Angel | Purity, clarity, serenity |
| Origin | Arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | MAL-ak | sah-FAH |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1983 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2011 (210) | 2025 (249) |
| In 2025 | 137 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Malak | Safa |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 760 | 984 |
| 2010s | 1,706 | 1,006 |
| 2000s | 1,146 | 627 |
| 1990s | 255 | 243 |
| 1980s | 27 | 71 |
| 1970s | 0 | 8 |
Malak means “angel” in Arabic.
Safa (صفا / صفاء, safa') derives from the root s-f-w and means 'purity, clarity, serenity'. It is also the name of Al-Safa, one of the two hills in Mecca (with Al-Marwah) between which pilgrims walk during the Hajj and Umrah.
Malak is more popular than Safa today: about 137 US babies were given the name Malak in 2025, compared with 0 named Safa.
Malak means Angel (Arabic origin), while Safa means Purity, clarity, serenity (arabic origin).
In US records, Malak first appears in 1983 and Safa in 0, so Safa has the longer recorded history.