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Mali as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Mali

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The baby name Mali is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced MAH-lee (ˈmɑːli),MAL-ee (ˈmæli).

Mali is Hindi, Sanskrit, Thai in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hindi, Sanskrit, Thai
Pronunciation: MAH-lee (ˈmɑːli),MAL-ee (ˈmæli)

What is the meaning of the name Mali ?

The baby name Mali is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced MAH-lee (ˈmɑːli),MAL-ee (ˈmæli).

Mali is Hindi, Sanskrit, Thai in Origin.

Mali is a cross-cultural name with several roots. In Welsh it is the vernacular form of Molly, itself a pet form of Mary (from Hebrew Miryam), commonly interpreted as “beloved” or “wished-for child.” In Thai, mali (มะลิ) means “jasmine,” a flower symbolizing purity and love, and is widely used as a feminine given name. In East Africa, Swahili mali denotes “wealth, treasure,” giving the name a unisex sense of prosperity. In South Asia, Mālī (from Sanskrit) means “gardener” or “flower-seller,” seen as a community name and occasionally a given name.

Usage spans Wales and Scotland (compare Scottish Gaelic Màili) to Thailand and African diasporas, with modern global appeal and occasional place-name inspiration from the West African country. Related forms and variants include Molly, Mally, Màili, Malia, and Thai Malee; short forms include Mal. Meanings range from “beloved” to “jasmine” to “wealth,” offering rich symbolic flexibility.

Mali has the following similar or variant Names

Mali – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
HN Girls 0 #38 1 884
AZ 0 #43 1 706
AL 0 #64 12 2,372
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
AF Girls 0 #93 2 2,402
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
GE Girls 0 #107 2 1,564
BN Boys 0 #117 17 6,332
KW 0 #117 5 5,216
CY Girls 0 #119 7 3,755
Norway Girls 2025 #120 7 453
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
RS Girls 0 #125 11 1,651
RS Boys 0 #128 27 2,277
Switzerland Boys 2024 #130 8 1,769
IQ 0 #132 2 3,533
GR 0 #133 3 3,911
Switzerland Girls 2024 #134 2 1,786
HR Boys 0 #137 162 3,997
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
BW Girls 0 #148 4 4,216
IL Girls 0 #148 992 11,648
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
IL 0 #161 121 6,291
PS 0 #162 57 5,692
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
PR Girls 0 #166 2 3,171
HR 0 #170 10 2,081
SI Girls 0 #172 6 2,769
HU Boys 0 #173 2 3,954
MT Boys 0 #178 2 4,064
Sweden Girls 2021 #182 2 1,666
AE 0 #184 4 10,220
SI Boys 0 #186 24 3,402
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
AL Boys 0 #198 105 5,122
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
AL Girls 0 #210 13 4,141
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
LU Boys 0 #216 5 4,970
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
HU Girls 0 #224 2 3,308
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
KW Girls 0 #234 316 19,177
PS Girls 0 #234 390 10,981
NA Girls 0 #235 3 7,146
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
JP Girls 0 #245 7 6,592
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
AO Boys 0 #248 2 5,568
GR Girls 0 #248 2 6,293
NA Boys 0 #249 5 6,830
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
HR Girls 0 #257 33 3,687
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
GR Boys 0 #258 10 6,912
MO Girls 0 #261 3 7,056
AF Boys 0 #272 3 3,535
JM Girls 0 #277 2 7,507
Canada Girls 2024 #278 8 2,795
SG 0 #279 4 11,010
TW Girls 0 #287 3 8,139
JM Boys 0 #288 6 6,876
KZ Girls 0 #289 32 5,862
KZ Boys 0 #293 4 6,578
JP Boys 0 #298 6 7,909
QA Girls 0 #300 17 15,378
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
JO Girls 0 #307 19 7,570
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
DK Girls 0 #321 9 7,429
PE 0 #321 9 6,350
DK Boys 0 #330 3 7,401
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
GH Girls 0 #336 2 6,973
GT 0 #336 3 5,948
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
CZ Girls 0 #345 7 5,378
MY 0 #350 5 12,352
OM Girls 0 #351 46 15,987
SD Girls 0 #354 5 7,678
MU Girls 0 #356 7 8,539
CN Girls 0 #357 3 8,829
GH Boys 0 #358 4 8,138
PL Girls 0 #361 4 5,096
YE 0 #367 15 8,639
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
JO Boys 0 #383 7 7,057
France Boys 2021 #385 3 2,865
France Girls 2020 #387 8 3,215
BD Girls 0 #400 7 8,413
Austria Girls 0 #404 17 1,885
BO 0 #404 5 6,868
PH Boys 0 #405 4 11,440
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
Germany 0 #419 19 2,542
Austria Boys 0 #421 22 2,180
PH Girls 0 #426 4 13,098
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
RU Girls 0 #435 64 11,913
ZA 0 #435 13 14,421
MX 0 #440 6 8,339
IR Girls 0 #446 85 8,334
SD Boys 0 #458 9 10,523
IQ Girls 0 #465 40 11,303
PA Girls 0 #465 17 9,861
PT Girls 0 #467 5 7,952
AE Girls 0 #475 79 20,968
GT Girls 0 #487 19 7,500
GT Boys 0 #498 2 7,625
UY Girls 0 #501 10 6,731
CO 0 #506 5 7,768
BH 0 #508 46 17,937
LY 0 #514 22 12,703
RU Boys 0 #519 8 12,621
IR Boys 0 #532 21 10,162
CM Boys 0 #541 10 12,054
CM Girls 0 #553 8 11,671
HK Boys 0 #556 2 12,905
PS Boys 0 #557 5 10,655
SG Girls 0 #558 29 18,916
IN Girls 0 #566 66 13,121
CR Girls 0 #569 5 11,342
AR Girls 0 #586 14 8,289
HK Girls 0 #592 24 16,104
IL Boys 0 #598 10 10,983
BD Boys 0 #602 4 10,045
LB 0 #618 41 13,263
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
IQ Boys 0 #626 42 13,071
KW Boys 0 #638 132 18,755
BO Girls 0 #648 4 9,488
TR 0 #664 897 19,440
SG Boys 0 #669 29 17,960
QA Boys 0 #681 27 18,093
CL Boys 0 #694 7 13,390
IT 0 #702 13 4,183
MA 0 #722 443 20,986
DZ 0 #723 497 20,130
Finland Girls 2026 #725 14 3,895
Germany Girls 0 #759 80 4,949
SY 0 #760 8 11,684
NG Girls 0 #773 14 15,093
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
TN 0 #784 46 13,765
SA Girls 0 #789 147 25,931
CL Girls 0 #822 30 14,098
IN Boys 0 #823 180 16,750
OM Boys 0 #831 51 17,948
EG Boys 0 #853 34 15,035
PE Boys 0 #869 10 14,506
United States Girls 2024 #874 43 8,487
ZA Boys 0 #881 306 25,619
PE Girls 0 #882 62 14,861
United States Boys 2024 #884 9 7,044
Germany Boys 0 #892 61 5,697
Spain Boys 0 #894 37 5,610
Spain Girls 0 #896 88 5,561
CO Boys 0 #907 14 15,656
NL Girls 0 #910 46 5,933
NG Boys 0 #914 38 16,906
NL Boys 0 #915 37 5,873
EG Girls 0 #917 43 14,742
BR Girls 0 #922 20 12,708
MY Girls 0 #942 53 24,821
MX Boys 0 #972 11 16,355
CO Girls 0 #991 88 16,140
AE Boys 0 #997 96 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,000 112 25,439
MX Girls 0 #1,013 171 17,781
ZA Girls 0 #1,017 125 25,928
IT Boys 0 #1,274 198 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,284 332 28,008
IT Girls 0 #1,292 155 9,415

Mali is popular in 88 countries — most recent births per country:

Norway
United States
France
Switzerland
Canada

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Mali

Mali is predominantly a girl's name.
Mali is a 2 syllable name, pronounced MAH-lee (ˈmɑːli),MAL-ee (ˈmæli).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Malli, Malie, Malia, Mally and Mallika (related form).
Yes, very popular — Mali ranked #1 in Germany in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 9 countries.
Mali ranks highest in Germany (#1 in 2025).
Mali's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #101 in 2015 to #120 in 2025 in Norway.