Bitter, beloved, or industrious
Malya is a rare name with multiple potential etymological paths. It is often considered a variant of Malia, the Hawaiian form of Mary, or a diminutive of Amalia, which stems from the Germanic word for work. In some contexts, it is also used as a Russian diminutive of Marya.
Less common today
Malya isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #6,324 in 2016.
US births per 5-year period, 1990βpresent (SSA data).