Likely a modern variation of Malaya, meaning free.
Malaiya is a contemporary American name, most likely a stylized spelling of the Tagalog word 'malaya' which means free. It may also be influenced by the melodic sounds of names like Maya or Malia, or the geographical name Malaysia.
Less common today
Malaiya isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #3,541 in 2021.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
