Malena: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,271

among girls · ↑208 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Malena · +11% vs 2024

How common

1 in 19,843

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2004

146 babies

All-time total

4,058

#2,955 all-time among girls

First recorded

1886

in Social Security records

Malena popularity over time

4,058 babies have been named Malena since 1886, 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

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	6	1	–	#1,056
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	6	1	–	#4,825
1930s	11	1	+83%	#4,357
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	45	5	–	#3,481
1960s	111	11	+147%	#2,743
1970s	462	46	+316%	#1,512
1980s	288	29	-38%	#2,381
1990s	483	48	+68%	#2,109
2000s	1,234	123	+155%	#1,390
2010s	976	98	-21%	#1,756
2020s (to 2025)	436	73	-26%	#2,271

Where Malena 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	81	0.05	outside top 500
2027	81	0.05	outside top 500
2028	81	0.05	outside top 500
2029	82	0.05	outside top 500
2030	82	0.05	outside top 500

Where Malena is most popular

Girls named Malena per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.046 per 1,000. Strongest in Pennsylvania, California, and Texas.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Malena born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Pennsylvania	45	0.190	+310%
California	52	0.062	+33%
Texas	42	0.052	+12%
Florida	17	0.040	-14%
Arizona	5	0.036	-23%
Ohio	6	0.025	-46%
Georgia	5	0.022	-53%
New York	5	0.013	-73%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Malena

Malena is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,271 in 2025 with 81 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1886, 4,058 American babies have been named Malena. Its peak came in 2004, when 146 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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

How old are people named Malena?

The median living Malena is about 20 years old; half are between 12 and 32. An estimated 4,000 people named Malena are alive in the United States today.

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

Malena year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	81	#2,271
2024	73	#2,479
2023	70	#2,547
2022	78	#2,381
2021	75	#2,407
2020	59	#2,810
2019	88	#2,137
2018	81	#2,265
2017	89	#2,154
2016	82	#2,317
2015	100	#1,992
2014	110	#1,848
2013	95	#2,046
2012	98	#1,993
2011	115	#1,777
2010	118	#1,756
2009	123	#1,773
2008	122	#1,797
2007	138	#1,618
2006	130	#1,637
2005	117	#1,700
2004	146	#1,424
2003	107	#1,768
2002	139	#1,390
2001	119	#1,569
2000	93	#1,848
1995	45	#2,711
1990	22	#4,458
1985	31	#2,981
1980	35	#2,680
1975	42	#2,085
1970	53	#1,731
1965	8	#5,112
1960	6	#6,115
1955	–	–
1950	5	#5,798
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	6	#4,357
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Malena

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

1 Malena Ernman Swedish opera singer (born 1970) Contemporary
2 Malena Alterio Argentine-born Spanish actress b. 1974 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Malena?

The median living Malena is about 20 years old. Half of all living Malenas are between 12 and 32 years old.

How many people named Malena are alive today?

An estimated 4,000 people named Malena are alive in the United States, based on 4,058 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Malena in 2025?

Malena ranked #2,271 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 81 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Malena?

4,058 babies have been named Malena in the United States since 1886, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Malena most popular?

Malena peaked in 2004, when 146 newborns received the name.

Is Malena a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Malena rising or falling?

Malena is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Malena become more popular?

Malena looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 82 girls named Malena in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Malena?

Well-known people named Malena include Malena Ernman (singer), Malena Alterio (actor).

Names like Malena

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

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