| Malak | Sana | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Angel | Radiance, brilliance, splendor |
| Origin | Arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | MAL-ak | sah-NAH |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1983 | 1923 |
| Peak year | 2011 (210) | 2022 (180) |
| In 2025 | 137 | 151 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Malak | Sana |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 760 | 860 |
| 2010s | 1,706 | 1,222 |
| 2000s | 1,146 | 1,186 |
| 1990s | 255 | 888 |
| 1980s | 27 | 478 |
| 1970s | 0 | 142 |
| 1960s | 0 | 43 |
| 1950s | 0 | 39 |
| 1940s | 0 | 5 |
| 1920s | 0 | 10 |
Malak means “angel” in Arabic.
Sana (سناء, sana') derives from the root s-n-w/s-n-y and means 'radiance, brilliance, splendour'. It should be distinguished from the unrelated Arabic word sana ('year') and from Sana'a, the Yemeni capital.
Sana is more popular than Malak today: about 151 US babies were given the name Sana in 2025, compared with 137 named Malak.
Malak means Angel (Arabic origin), while Sana means Radiance, brilliance, splendor (arabic origin).
In US records, Malak first appears in 1983 and Sana in 1923, so Sana has the longer recorded history.