Bitter, beloved, or drop of the sea
Maliah is a modern American spelling variant of Malia, which is the Hawaiian form of Mary. It carries the same multifaceted etymology as Mary, often interpreted as 'bitter' from the Hebrew Marah, or 'beloved' from Egyptian roots. The addition of the 'h' gives it a contemporary, phonetic flair popular in English-speaking regions.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
