Malik
Top 1000
About Malik
A name with many spelling variations, including Malek, Melik, and Maliq, Malik is a popular name of Arabic and Semetic origin that is used internationally as both a given name and a surname. In terms of meaning, it can be considered a royal name meaning "king", though other sources suggest it is an alternative transcription of Maalik, making "owner, possessor" a more accurate meaning.
In Islamic tradition, al-Malik is one of the 99 names of Allah, meaning the name is used by Muslim families across the world. It ranks in the Top 400 in the US and the UK, while in France, Switzerland, and Quebec it is in the Top 100.
From an entirely different root, Malik may also be considered a nature name. In Greenlandic, it means "sea, wave" and was a popular choice in the 2000s.
Pronounced mah-LEEK.
As of October 2026, Malik ranked #437 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #97 in 1996, Nameberry popularity #879.
Editor: Sophie Kihm
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #372 | 842 | 438.3 |
| 2015 | #375 | 862 | 449.7 |
| 2016 | #382 | 842 | 443.7 |
| 2017 | #378 | 867 | 468.4 |
| 2018 | #373 | 873 | 480.7 |
| 2019 | #363 | 886 | 493.8 |
| 2020 | #373 | 836 | 484.3 |
| 2021 | #393 | 808 | 461.9 |
| 2022 | #395 | 807 | 462.2 |
| 2023 | #383 | 834 | 487.6 |
| 2024 | #429 | 736 | 427.2 |
| 2025 | #437 | 724 | 423.9 |
World rankings
Similar names
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Malik on lists
Famous Maliks
- Malik Al
Ashtar, follower of the Prophet Muhammad
- Malik ibn Anas
8th century Arabian Muslim jurist and theologian
- Malik Edwards
American rapper of duo Illegal
- Malik Cox aka Memphis Bleek
American rapper
- Malik Izaak Taylor aka Phife Dawg
American rapper
- (Abdul
)Malik Kashie Yoba, American actor
- Malik Jabari Rose
American basketball player
- Malik Samory Hairston
American basketball player
- Malik Nur Khan
Pakistani Air Force general
- Malik Yusef
American spoken word artist and poet
- Malik Ram (Baveja)
Indian Urdu, Persian and Arabic scholar
- Malik Hooker
American football player in the NFL
- Zayn Malik
British singer formerly of boyband One Direction
Malik in pop culture
- Malik (also known as Marik) from the original Yu
Gi,Oh
- Malik Al
Sayf, character in the game Assassin's Creed
- Meera Malik
a character in NBC's The Blacklist
- Malik Williams
character from movie "Higher Learning"