Namewise

Kim vs Malia

Kim and Maliacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2022, Kim was ranked #634 and Malia #420 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Kim was ranked #4192 and Malia #676 among girls in England and Wales.

Kim and Malia over time

Kim and Malia appear together in 1 published list, across 24 years of shared records. Malia held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kim in 0.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Kim reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Malia in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 20012024

    Kim held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Malia in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Kim #671 in 2001, Malia #433 in 2023.

    The order changed in 2016: Malia moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #1961 and #2070; by 2016 that had become #3609 and #1112.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Kim #4192, Malia #676.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Kim, Malia
FieldKimMalia
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usageUsed for both boys and girlsfemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables12
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #736 (2024)Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Kim has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Malia.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Kim

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1951

    First recorded at #344 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1958–1985

    Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1958–1985).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls

Malia

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded2001

    First recorded at #2023 among girls in England and Wales in 2001 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    England and Wales · Girls

  2. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls