Malalai

A beautiful girl name with a melodic sound, Malalai is best known for Malalai of Maiwand, a woman who is considered a national folk hero in Afghanistan. She was a 19th-century freedom fighter, credited for the Afghan victory in the 1880 Battle of Maiwand. The well-known Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was named after her, with Malala being a more modern variant of Malalai. Another significant namesake is Afghan activist Malalai Joya.

Pronounced mah-lah-LY.

As of October 2026, Malalai ranked #17868 for girls in US births in 2016 SSA.