Malaysia

Malaysia is a geographical place name turned girl’s name (used almost exclusively in the United States). A Southeast Asian country, Malaysia is located at the bottom of a peninsula it shares with Thailand and also shares an island region with Borneo and Brunei (around Indonesia). The nation is a federal constitutional monarchy with just shy of 30 million citizens (most of who live on the Peninsula); the capital city is Kuala Lumpur. Once a territory of Great Britain, Malaysia gained its independence in the mid 20th century and has since established a government and legal system modeled closely after England. The state religion is Sunni Islam. The actual name Malaysia (Melayu) is said to come from a Sanskrit word meaning “land of mountains” coined by early medieval Indian traders referring to the Titiwangsa Mountain range of the Malaysian Peninsula which cuts between the west and east coastal lands. However, the term Malaysia did not officially become the country’s name until 1963. The earliest inhabitants of Malaysia were probably transplants from the African continent, but in the first century A.D. the ancient Indians and Chinese arrived and set up settlements (bringing with them a diversity of culture and religious beliefs). Islam would spread in the 14th century largely influenced by a converted Islamic prince from modern-day Sumatra who established a successful Sultanate on the Malaysian Peninsula. Rich in natural resources, regions of the Malaysian Peninsula became a target of greedy interest for European powers – first conquered by Portugal in the 16th century, later taken over by the Dutch in the 17th century and finally coming into the hands of Great Britain in the early 19th century. Since its independence achieved a couple decades post-WWII, Malaysia has moved from an agricultural based economy to an urbanized manufacturing one and has enjoyed overall economic success over the years. The nation is not without its problems however: Malaysia has a history of ethnic division and racial discrimination particularly against the sizable Chinese population. In any case, usage of Malaysia as a female given name is new and follows a naming trend geared around exotic place names as forenames (e.g., Asia, India, Kenya).