| Malia | Kehlani | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Calm, gentle | the heavens / sea and sky |
| Origin | Hawaiian | hawaiian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | muh-LEE-uh | keh-LAH-nee |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1919 | 2015 |
| Peak year | 2009 (1,700) | 2025 (1,981) |
| In 2025 | 872 | 1,981 |
| Trend | Steady | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Malia | Kehlani |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6,533 | 11,283 |
| 2010s | 11,140 | 3,198 |
| 2000s | 8,205 | 0 |
| 1990s | 2,477 | 0 |
| 1980s | 1,442 | 0 |
| 1970s | 1,027 | 0 |
| 1960s | 449 | 0 |
| 1950s | 323 | 0 |
| 1940s | 5 | 0 |
| 1910s | 5 | 0 |
Malia is a Hawaiian form of Mary, also associated with “calm” waters.
A modern Hawaiian-style name built on 'lani' (sky, heaven), often read as a blend of 'kai' (sea) and 'lani' (sky), giving 'sea and sky'. It is closely related to the traditional Hawaiian name Kalani ('the heavens') and was popularized by the singer Kehlani.
Kehlani is more popular than Malia today: about 1,981 US babies were given the name Kehlani in 2025, compared with 872 named Malia.
Malia means Calm, gentle (Hawaiian origin), while Kehlani means the heavens / sea and sky (hawaiian origin).
In US records, Malia first appears in 1919 and Kehlani in 2015, so Malia has the longer recorded history.