Maleah is a spelling of Malia, the Hawaiian form of Mary, a name of uncertain meaning that is usually explained as "beloved" or "sea of bitterness". All spellings of the name got a boost when Malia Obama moved into the White House in 2009. Maleah entered the US top 1000 in 2002, peaked at number 595 in 2009, dropped out again in 2023 and ranks 1215 in 2025.