Meaning and history
Mala has several unrelated uses. In Sanskrit and modern Indian languages, mālā means “garland,” “necklace,” or a string of prayer beads, and is used as a feminine name. In some Slavic languages, mala is an adjective meaning “small” or “little,” which may produce independent nicknames or names. These traditions should not be merged. Notable bearers include Indian actor Mala Sinha and Indian-British writer and human-rights activist Mala Sen. Original language determines the intended meaning.
20062006: 6 births, rank #15,152
2007: no US SSA record for this spelling
2008: 7 births, rank #13,832
2009: no US SSA record for this spelling
2010: 12 births, rank #9,231
20112011: 6 births, rank #14,824
2012: 12 births, rank #9,109
2013: 9 births, rank #11,000
2014: 7 births, rank #13,069
2015: 10 births, rank #10,148
20162016: 9 births, rank #10,859
2017: 10 births, rank #9,943
2018: 17 births, rank #6,792
2019: 7 births, rank #12,448
2020: 10 births, rank #9,546
20212021: 8 births, rank #11,146
2022: 8 births, rank #11,231
2023: 16 births, rank #6,922
2024: no US SSA record for this spelling
20252025: 10 births, rank #9,457
In 2025, 10 babies were recorded with the name Mala, ranking #9,457 among girls.