Maleni is a modern name used almost exclusively in Spanish-speaking families; it has no traditional meaning and is usually read as a spelling of Meleny or Melanie, from the Greek word for "dark" or "black", or as a short form of Magdalena by way of Malena. Its sudden American rise suggests a media spark: Maleni went from number 15260 in 2017 to number 2703 in 2018 and a peak of number 1317 in 2019; by 2025 it had settled at number 2600 with 67 girls.