Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Malakai

Malakai is a modern Americanized respelling of Malachi (both are pronounced the same way and should not be confused with the Irish name Malachy which has different origins). Malachi is a Biblical name borne by one of the twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. The name is Hebrew in origin from “Mal'akhi” meaning “my messenger” which is fitting since Malachi foretold the coming of God (i.e., through Jesus Christ). He lived in the 5th century B.C. and repeatedly emphasized the upcoming “day of the Lord” whereby the peoples’ sin and unfaithfulness will be punished. The religiously stern Puritans took up the name in the 17th century during the Reformation and eventually brought it to America. The respelling of Malakai is pretty new and distinct to the United States. Although it’s not the traditional or classical Biblical spelling, it’s probably more phonetic to the American eye and ear. The “-kai” suffix also gives this ancient Hebrew name a little Hawaiian flavor.

All About the Baby Name – Malakai

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME MALAKAI

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME MALAKAI

Malakai debuted on the American male naming charts for the first time in 2002. This spelling variation caught on and climbed in popularity as the years progressed. However, it appears as if Malakai is leveling off at low levels of moderate usage. The classical spelling of Malachi is more popular still, but non-traditional parents who find comfort in phonetically spelled names are probably drawn to Malakai as an alternative. We hate to bring this up, but when we hear the name Malachi we think of Stephen King’s 1977 thriller novel “Children of the Corn” (later adapted into a scary 1984 movie of the same name). Malachai was one of the creepy kids who was sacrificed to the demon known as “He Who Walks Behind the Rows”. (Malachai! He wants you too, Malachai. He wants you too!). We know Malachi was an important messenger in the Bible, but we can’t help associating Gothic horror with this name. Hopefully that’s just our problem and not yours.

Quick Facts

ON MALAKAI

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

564

PRONUNCIATION:

MAL-ə-kie

SIMPLE MEANING:

My messenger

Characteristics

OF MALAKAI

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Malakai

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME MALAKAI

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Malakai

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME MALAKAI

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Malakai


Popular Songs

ON MALAKAI

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Malakai


Famous People

NAMED MALAKAI

We cannot find any celebrities or significantly famous people with the first name Malakai.

Children of Famous People

NAMED MALAKAI

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Malakai

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME MALAKAI

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Malakai