Mahelet is a spelling of the Ethiopian name Mahlet, an Amharic word that means "song of praise" or "hymn"; it echoes the biblical name Mahalath and is a common choice in Ethiopian Orthodox families. In the United States the name is tied to the Ethiopian American community and was very rare until recently: Mahelet ranked number 17852 in 2016, jumped to number 2322 in 2024 and stood at number 2599 in 2025 with 67 girls.