Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2020

Mahalia

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #3,088 Trend → Stable
Rank 2025
#3,088
among girls · ↑65 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
53
named Mahalia · +4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 30,326
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2020
65 babies
All-time total
2,370
#4,197 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Mahalia popularity over time

2,370 babies have been named Mahalia since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1880Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s 20 2 – #899
1890s 46 5 +130% #1,248
1900s 42 4 -9% #1,286
1910s 79 8 +88% #1,885
1920s 76 8 -4% #2,442
1930s 35 4 -54% #3,334
1940s 96 10 +174% #2,380
1950s 124 12 +29% #2,536
1960s 126 13 +2% #2,875
1970s 75 8 -40% #4,972
1980s 107 11 +43% #4,593
1990s 396 40 +270% #2,243
2000s 429 43 +8% #2,876
2010s 387 39 -10% #3,351
2020s (to 2025) 332 55 +43% #2,617

Where Mahalia is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 54 0.03 outside top 500
2027 54 0.03 outside top 500
2028 54 0.03 outside top 500
2029 55 0.03 outside top 500
2030 55 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Mahalia

Mahalia is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,088 in 2025 with 53 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,370 American babies have been named Mahalia. Its peak came in 2020, when 65 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Mahalia stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Mahalia?

The median living Mahalia is about 22 years old; half are between 9 and 33. An estimated 2,000 people named Mahalia are alive in the United States today.

median 22 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Mahalia year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 53 #3,088
2024 51 #3,153
2023 50 #3,254
2022 56 #2,984
2021 57 #2,949
2020 65 #2,617
2019 47 #3,365
2018 47 #3,375
2017 42 #3,674
2016 38 #3,970
2015 35 #4,200
2014 30 #4,723
2013 48 #3,351
2012 27 #5,193
2011 34 #4,318
2010 39 #3,932
2009 38 #4,067
2008 40 #3,979
2007 40 #3,956
2006 50 #3,292
2005 40 #3,696
2004 37 #3,873
2003 40 #3,570
2002 52 #2,876
2001 42 #3,288
2000 50 #2,883
1995 56 #2,356
1990 14 #6,331
1985 10 #6,751
1980 12 #5,754
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 14 #3,492
1960 19 #2,875
1955 8 #4,596
1950 15 #2,730
1945 8 #3,563
1940 12 #2,509
1935 8 #3,334
1930 – –
1925 8 #3,904
1920 8 #3,823
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 6 #1,835
1900 5 #2,106
1895 7 #1,380
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 5 #899

Famous people named Mahalia

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson American gospel singer (1911–1972) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Mahalia, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Mahalia?

The median living Mahalia is about 22 years old. Half of all living Mahalias are between 9 and 33 years old.

How many people named Mahalia are alive today?

An estimated 2,000 people named Mahalia are alive in the United States, based on 2,370 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Mahalia in 2025?

Mahalia ranked #3,088 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 53 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Mahalia?

2,370 babies have been named Mahalia in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Mahalia most popular?

Mahalia peaked in 2020, when 65 newborns received the name.

Is Mahalia a boy or girl name?

Mahalia is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Mahalia rising or falling?

Mahalia is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Mahalia become more popular?

Mahalia looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 55 girls named Mahalia in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Mahalia?

Well-known people named Mahalia include Mahalia Jackson (singer).

Names like Mahalia

Names that sound and feel close to Mahalia: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Mahalia with similar names → More names starting with M →