Malikai is a modern spelling of Malachi, the Hebrew name of the last prophet of the Old Testament, which means "my messenger". The spelling with an i and k also brings in Malik, the Arabic word for king, which makes it attractive to families drawn to both names. In the United States Malikai ranked number 8774 in 2000, rose to a best rank of number 1277 in 2020 and stands at number 1416 in 2025.