What Does the Name Malia Mean?

Malia is a girl's name of Hawaiian (form of Mary) origin meaning “Hawaiian form of Maria/Mary.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Malia
Gender	female
Origin	Hawaiian (form of Mary)
Meaning	Hawaiian form of Maria/Mary
Variants	Maliyah, Maliah, Maria, Mariah
Popularity	Notably more popular in the U.S. since the late 2000s; firmly in the top 500, and especially common in Hawaii.

The meaning and origin of Malia

The name Malia means “Hawaiian form of Maria/Mary” and has Hawaiian (form of Mary) origins. Malia is the Hawaiian rendering of Maria (Mary), reflecting the adaptation of biblical names into Hawaiian phonology. It gained wide U.S. recognition through Malia Obama.

Variants and related names

Malia is related to several other names you may recognize: Maliyah, Maliah, Maria, Mariah. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Malia?

Notably more popular in the U.S. since the late 2000s; firmly in the top 500, and especially common in Hawaii.

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