Malaya
Tagalog malaya, meaning free, used as a given name in the Philippines and among Filipino families abroad.
Malaya in 2025
Malaya was given to 351 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,509th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 9,445 babies born.
The history of Malaya
Malaya reached its highest point in 2014, when 449 babies were given the name, ranking 1,240th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 1,214th, in 2013.
Across the 49 years of records since 1977, 8,467 babies have been named Malaya. Half of them were born before 2015, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Malaya by decade
| Decade | Babies named Malaya | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 23 | 8,609 |
| 1980s | 33 | 14,660 |
| 1990s | 225 | 4,738 |
| 2000s | 1,980 | 1,411 |
| 2010s | 3,907 | 1,214 |
| 2020s | 2,299 | 1,278 |
Where Malaya is heading
Malaya has fallen 10% over the past decade, from 391 babies in 2015 to 351 in 2025.
Names like Malaya
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Malaya.