Malik
From Arabic مَالِك (mālik) and مَلِك (malik, “Leader”).
Every Malik since 1949 — 49,866 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Malik
Malik is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #437 in 2025 with 724 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1949, 49,866 American babies have been named Malik. Its peak came in 1996, when 4,050 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Malik stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Malik year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 724 | #437 |
| 2024 | — | — | 740 | #428 |
| 2023 | — | — | 835 | #383 |
| 2022 | — | — | 808 | #395 |
| 2021 | — | — | 810 | #392 |
| 2020 | — | — | 838 | #373 |
| 2019 | — | — | 886 | #363 |
| 2018 | — | — | 874 | #373 |
| 2017 | — | — | 869 | #378 |
| 2016 | — | — | 844 | #382 |
| 2015 | — | — | 862 | #375 |
| 2014 | 6 | #15,840 | 842 | #372 |
| 2013 | — | — | 940 | #341 |
| 2012 | 5 | #18,561 | 913 | #340 |
| 2011 | 7 | #14,263 | 988 | #322 |
| 2010 | 9 | #11,885 | 1,192 | #283 |
| 2009 | — | — | 1,359 | #255 |
| 2008 | — | — | 1,218 | #280 |
| 2007 | 10 | #11,337 | 1,255 | #273 |
| 2006 | — | — | 1,191 | #289 |
| 2005 | 7 | #13,937 | 1,253 | #265 |
| 2004 | 5 | #17,792 | 1,377 | #243 |
| 2003 | 6 | #15,046 | 1,506 | #229 |
| 2002 | — | — | 1,659 | #211 |
| 2001 | 7 | #12,924 | 1,864 | #197 |
| 2000 | 14 | #7,423 | 2,084 | #176 |
| 1995 | 30 | #3,635 | 2,707 | #131 |
| 1990 | 6 | #12,307 | 328 | #559 |
| 1985 | 5 | #11,742 | 124 | #800 |
| 1980 | 6 | #9,817 | 168 | #667 |
| 1975 | — | — | 123 | #753 |
| 1970 | 5 | #8,783 | 126 | #732 |
| 1965 | — | — | 8 | #3,148 |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Malik
- Malik ibn Anas Religious figure · 711–795
- Malik Shah Politician · 1100–1116
- Malik Kafur Politician · 1250–1316
- Malik Ambar Military personnel · 1548–1626
- Malik Bendjelloul Film director · 1977–2014
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Malik mean?
From Arabic مَالِك (mālik) and مَلِك (malik, “Leader”).
How popular is the name Malik in 2025?
Malik ranked #437 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 724 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Malik?
49,866 babies have been named Malik in the United States since 1949, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Malik most popular?
Malik peaked in 1996, when 4,050 newborns received the name.
Is Malik a boy or girl name?
Malik is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Malik rising or falling?
Malik has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Malik?
Well-known people named Malik include Malik ibn Anas (religious figure), Malik Shah (politician), Malik Kafur (politician).